The rapidly evolving pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection worldwide cost many lives. The angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) has been identified as the receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 viral entry. As such, it is now receiving renewed attention as a potential target for anti-viral therapeutics. We review the physiological functions of ACE2 in the cardiovascular system and the lungs, and how the activation of ACE2/MAS/G protein coupled receptor contributes in reducing acute injury and inhibiting fibrogenesis of the lungs and protecting the cardiovascular system. In this perspective, we predominantly focus on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on ACE2 and dysregulation of the protective effect of ACE2/MAS/G protein pathway vs. the deleterious effect of Renin/Angiotensin/Aldosterone. We discuss the potential effect of invasion of SARS-CoV-2 on the function of ACE2 and the loss of the protective effect of the ACE2/MAS pathway in alveolar epithelial cells and how this may amplify systemic deleterious effect of renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAS) in the host. Furthermore, we speculate the potential of exploiting the modulation of ACE2/MAS pathway as a natural protection of lung injury by modulation of ACE2/MAS axis or by developing targeted drugs to inhibit proteases required for viral entry.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, lung, Coagulopathy, angiotensin, alveolar, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, ACE2, coronavirus, pandemic, SARS-COV-2 infection, Infection, drug, cardiovascular system, Lung injury, protease, viral entry, RAS, Anti-viral, Angiotensin converting enzyme-2, ACE-2, Protein, Lungs, pathway, receptor, protective effect, Deleterious, Invasion, dysregulation, acute respiratory syndrome, Activation, modulation, Perspective, Host, inhibit, required, receiving, amplify, contribute, reducing, inhibiting, alveolar epithelial cell, physiological function, acute injury, the SARS-CoV-2, 【제목키워드】 ACE2,