Pharmacotherapy Based on ACE2 Targeting and COVID-19 Infection

The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. A massive vaccination campaign, which is still ongoing, has averted most serious consequences worldwide; however, lines of research are continuing to identify the best drug therapies to treat COVID-19 infection. SARS-CoV-2 penetrates the cells of the host organism through ACE2. The ACE2 protein plays a key role in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and undergoes changes in expression during different stages of COVID-19 infection. It appears that an unregulated RAS is responsible for the severe lung damage that occurs in some cases of COVID-19. Pharmacologically modifying the expression of ACE2 could be an interesting line of research to follow in order to avoid the severe complications of COVID-19.

Automated summary

The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus enters host cells through ACE2, and the expression of ACE2 undergoes changes during different stages of COVID-19 infection, which may be related to severe lung damage. Modifying the expression of ACE2 pharmacologically could be an interesting research direction to avoid severe complications of COVID-19.