Adipocytes in obesity: A perfect reservoir for SARS-CoV-2?

Research evidence suggests that adipocytes in obesity might facilitate SARS-CoV-2 replication, for it was only found in adipose tissue of individuals with overweight or obesity but not lean individuals who died from COVID-19. As lipid metabolism is key to adipocyte function, and viruses are capable of exploiting and manipulating lipid metabolism of host cells for their own benefit of infection, we hypothesize that adipocytes could not only impair host immune defense against viral infection, but also facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry, replication and assembly as a reservoir to boost the viral infection in obesity. The latter of which could mainly be mediated by SARS-CoV-2 hijacking the abnormal lipid metabolism in the adipocytes. If these were to be confirmed, an approach to combat COVID-19 in people with obesity by taking advantage of the abnormal lipid metabolism in adipocytes might be considered, as well as modifying lipid metabolism of other host cells as a potential adjunctive treatment for COVID-19.

Automated summary

Research suggests that adipocytes in obesity may contribute to SARS-CoV-2 replication, as it is only found in adipose tissue of overweight or obese individuals who died from COVID-19, not lean individuals. The hypothesis is that adipocytes impair host immune defense against viral infection and facilitate SARS-CoV-2 entry, replication, and assembly as a reservoir. This could be mediated by the virus hijacking abnormal lipid metabolism in adipocytes. If confirmed, targeting abnormal lipid metabolism in adipocytes and other host cells could be a potential approach for COVID-19 treatment in people with obesity.