Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 News and Research

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Potential for COVID-19 transmission from human eye

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in May 2020 reports the presence of ACE2 receptors in the eye at high concentrations. These molecules are the entry points for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

12 May 2020

Symptomatic COVID-19 patients less likely to be smokers

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages in many parts of the world, a new study shows that smoking may not play a significant role in increasing the severity of illness in these patients. The study is published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020.

12 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 binds heparan sulfate, preventing host cell infection

A new study published in May 2020 on the preprint server bioRxiv shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can bind to a sugar molecule called heparan sulfate (HS), thereby hindering its entry into the host cell.

12 May 2020

No evidence COVID-19 is spread by fecal-oral transmission

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 shows that in patients who test positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in pharyngeal and fecal samples, the virus persists longer in the fecal samples than in the pharyngeal samples. However, fecal-oral transmission does not appear to occur.

10 May 2020

Study shows COVID-19 vulnerability is highly dependent on host genetic architecture

A new US study available on the preprint server medRxiv reveals certain genetic variations that are associated with infection susceptibility and diverse clinical presentation of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – including asymptomatic cases and severe forms of the disease in younger patients.

10 May 2020

ACE inhibitors should not be discontinued over fears about COVID-19, say researchers

Researchers in Europe have found no evidence to support previous reports that the use of drugs that target the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) increases susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The research is published in the European Heart Journal.

10 May 2020

Study discovers inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 entry priming protein by approved drug

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome -coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread to most of the world, causing millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* shows that a protease inhibitor drug already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could inhibit viral entry.

6 May 2020

Low CD8 and NK cell counts in the lung linked to high SARS-CoV-2 ACE2 receptor levels

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in April 2020 reports that low levels of specific immune cells, namely, CD8 T cells and NK cells, are linked to higher expression of the ACE2 molecule, which acts as a receptor for the CoV.

6 May 2020

Is ACEI, ARB use linked to testing positive for COVID-19?

A new study published in the prestigious journal JAMA Cardiology in May 2020 reports that there is no association between the use of ACEIs/ARBs and testing positive for COVID-19. This supports current medical advice to continue using these drugs as indicated irrespective of the ongoing pandemic but indicates the need for more research to rule out any additional risk of severe illness due to these agents.

6 May 2020

Russian scientists create humanized mice to test drugs and vaccines for COVID-19

Following the recent Coronavirus outbreak, almost three million people have been infected worldwide, whereas the death toll has already passed the 200,000 mark, according to official reports.

5 May 2020

Loss of smell may be related to neuroinvasive propensity of SARS-CoV-2

The novel coronavirus has rapidly infected millions over the world in over 187 countries and territories, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. One of the often-neglected and under-reported symptoms of the virus is the loss of the sense of smell or anosmia. Now, a new study out of Germany published on the preprint server medRxiv in April 2020 provides a quantified estimate of the magnitude of anosmia as a symptom of the coronavirus.

4 May 2020

SARS-CoV-2 receptor ‘mimic' could prevent COVID-19

Researchers from Italy have developed an exciting new peptide drug that could potentially prevent the coronavirus from infecting people’s cells. The paper, published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in April 2020, describes a small molecule that can bind to and block the attachment site on the virus spike protein, preventing its entry into the host cell.

4 May 2020

High blood pressure drugs found to be safe for COVID-19 patients

Despite concerns expressed by some experts, common high blood pressure drugs did not increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 - or of developing severe disease - in a study of 12,594 patients.

3 May 2020

AHA awards grants to 12 teams for fast-tracked heart and brain health research related to COVID-19

Less than a month after issuing a rapid response call for scientific research proposals for fast-tracked studies of the effects of COVID-19 on the body's cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, the American Heart Association has awarded $1.2 million in grants to teams at 12 institutions across the U.S. to begin this unprecedented work.

2 May 2020

New database catalogs peptides that may halt SARS-CoV-2 cell infection

In the quest for a highly specific and tailored treatment strategy against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a recent publication available on the preprint server bioRxiv describes a repository of designed peptides that interfere with the early stages of viral invasion process.

30 Apr 2020

Fear of coronavirus propels some smokers to quit

In 40 years of smoking, Katie Kennedy has tried four times to quit but always went back to cigarettes. Today, she is summoning a new mental image when a craving comes on: rows of COVID-19 patients hooked to ventilators.

30 Apr 2020

Radboudumc researchers find essential mechanism in the disease process of COVID-19

Researchers at the Radboud University Medical Center seem to have found an essential mechanism in the disease process of COVID-19, which has so far been overlooked.

29 Apr 2020

ACE inhibitors appear to be safe and beneficial for COVID-19, say researchers

Researchers in India have conducted a meta-analysis investigating the effects of using angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on outcomes among patients with COVID-19.

29 Apr 2020

Tobacco use may explain why more men die of coronavirus than women in Spain

Whether or not you are a smoker could condition how the coronavirus affects you. At least that is what numerous researchers are saying, insisting that tobacco use is to blame for the weakened cardiovascular systems which are at greatest risk from COVID-19.

29 Apr 2020

French scientists suggest nicotinic agonists could treat COVID-19

Contrary to the warnings issued by health agencies worldwide against cigarette smoking amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a new paper suggests the possibility that nicotine, a component of tobacco, could prevent coronavirus infection.

28 Apr 2020