[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: Scientists identify the cells in human lungs, noses and intestines that are most vulnerable to the coronavirus COVID-19 needs two particular proteins to gain access inside target cells Researchers used a database of cell types to find which have both proteins They found that coronavirus exploits a protein that usually helps fight viruses The findings may help experts as they hunt for treatments against COVID-19 Scientists have identified the particular cells in human lungs, nasal passages and intestines that are the most vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Experts used a database of which genes are turned on by which cells to identify the cell types which produce the two proteins COVID-19 uses to enter and infect cells. The team also found that the coronavirus has evolved to exploit interferon, a protein which normally helps the body to fight off viral infections. The findings may help to guide the development of new drug treatments — or the identification of existing drugs that could be repurposed — to fight COVID-19. Scientists have identified the particular cells in human lungs, nasal passages and intestines that are the most vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Pictured, an artist's impression of coronaviruses budding out of infected type II pneumocyte cells in the human lungs Shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak began, experts discovered that the virus' 'spike' protein binds to receptor on human cells dubbed ACE2 — short for 'angiotensin-converting enzyme 2' — that is thought to protect the lungs from damage. A second human protein — an enzyme called TMPRSS2 — then helps to activate the spike protein, allowing the coronavirus to gain entry to a target cell if both these binding and activation proteins are present. 'As soon as we realised that the role of these proteins had been biochemically confirmed, we started looking to see where those genes were in our existing datasets,' said Jose Ordovas-Montanes of the Boston Children's Hospital. 'We were really in a good position to start to investigate which are the cells that this virus might actually target,' the immunologist added. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
|
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||