Targeting the intestinal TMPRSS2 protease to prevent SARS-CoV-2 entry into enterocytes-prospects and challenges.
Mol Biol Rep
; 48(5): 4667-4675, 2021 May.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1237535
ABSTRACT
The transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is a membrane anchored protease that primarily expressed by epithelial cells of respiratory and gastrointestinal systems and has been linked to multiple pathological processes in humans including tumor growth, metastasis and viral infections. Recent studies have shown that TMPRSS2 expressed on cell surface of host cells could play a crucial role in activation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein which facilitates the rapid early entry of the virus into host cells. In addition, direct suppression of TMPRSS2 using small drug inhibitors has been demonstrated to be effective in decreasing SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, which presents TMPRSS2 protease as a potential therapeutic strategy for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Recently, SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to be capable of infecting gastrointestinal enterocytes and to provoke gastrointestinal disorders in patients with COVID-19 disease, which is considered as a new transmission route and target organ of SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we highlight the biochemical properties of TMPRSS2 protease and discuss the potential targeting of TMPRSS2 by inhibitors to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 spreading through gastro-intestinal tract system as well as the hurdles that need to be overcome.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Serine Endopeptidases
/
Serine Proteinase Inhibitors
/
Enterocytes
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Traditional medicine
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Mol Biol Rep
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S11033-021-06390-1
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