Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a SARS-CoV-2 receptor: molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic target
Open accessAbstract
A novel infectious disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was detected in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.The disease (COVID-19) spread rapidly, reaching epidemic proportions in China, and has been found in 27 other countries.As of February 27, 2020, over 82,000 cases of COVID-19 were reported, with > 2800 deaths.No specific therapeutics are available, and current management includes travel restrictions, patient isolation, and supportive medical care.There are a number of pharmaceuticals already being tested [1,2], but a better understanding of the underlying pathobiology is required.In this context, this article will briefly review the rationale for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor as a specific target.
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RAAS mediates key events of COVID-19, including viral entry in the cell, inflammation, and lung fibrosis.
“RAAS mediates key events of the disease, including viral entry in the cell [112, 113], inflammation, and lung fibrosis [114].”
From Hyperactivation of P2X7 receptors as a culprit of COVID-19 neuropathology (2021) · cites this paper as [112]
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- Authors
- Zhang, H., Penninger, J. M., Li, Y., Zhong, N., & Slutsky, A. S.
- Affiliations
- St. Michael's Hospital (CA)
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (AT)
- First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Slutsky, Arthur S.
- Venue
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Published
- 2020-03-03
- Volume
- 46
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 586-590
- ISSN
- 0342-4642 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-1238
- PMC
- PMC7079879
- OpenAlex
- W3010126769
- Cited by
- 2,684
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 32 · 2025: 56 · 2024: 148 · 2023: 235 · 2022: 421 · 2021: 780 · 2020: 1008 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 80.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Intensive Care Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Informationszentrum Lebenswissenschaften (ZB MED) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health (FDN143285)
- "Natural Science Foundation of China" (81270125, 81490530, 2018GZR0201002)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Renin-Angiotensin System Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Keywords
- angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, ACE2, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pandemic, viral receptor, receptor binding, therapeutic target, pathobiology
- MeSH terms
- Betacoronavirus, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, SARS-CoV-2, Humans, Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A, Receptors, Virus, Respiratory Distress Syndrome, RNA, Viral, Viral Envelope Proteins, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Alveolar Epithelial Cells, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
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