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Angiotensin converting enzyme-2 as therapeutic target in COVID-19

Neda Roshanravan1, Samad Ghaffari1, Mehdi Hedayati2

  • 1Cardiovascular Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome
|May 20, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Researchers explored strategies to combat COVID-19 by targeting the ACE2 receptor. Potential treatments include using soluble ACE2 and compounds like morphine to block viral entry, offering hope against the pandemic.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic presents a severe global health crisis, straining healthcare systems worldwide.
  • Effective treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 are currently lacking, necessitating urgent development of novel therapeutic strategies.
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) plays a dual role as the entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and a protective factor against lung injury.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and highlight potential therapeutic approaches targeting the ACE2 receptor for combating SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • To explore strategies that modulate the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 to mitigate viral pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated the delivery of a soluble form of ACE2 (recombinant human ACE2: rhACE2) to intercept the virus.
  • Examined the potential of compounds like morphine and codeine to inhibit the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and ACE2 through competitive binding.

Main Results:

  • The study proposes two primary strategies for therapeutic intervention against SARS-CoV-2 via ACE2 modulation.
  • Recombinant human ACE2 (rhACE2) offers a potential method to sequester the virus.
  • Morphine and codeine are identified as potential inhibitors of the virus-ACE2 interaction.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting the ACE2 receptor presents a promising avenue for developing novel COVID-19 therapies.
  • Further clinical investigations are crucial to validate the efficacy and safety of rhACE2 and competitive inhibitors like morphine and codeine.
  • These approaches could offer a significant contribution to managing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords:
ACE2COVID-19CodeineMorphineSARS-CoV-2rhACE2

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