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Goblet Cell Hyperplasia Increases SARS-CoV-2 Infection in COPD
Jaspreet K Osan1,2, Sattya N Talukdar1,2, Friederike Feldmann3
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA.
SARS-CoV-2 infects airway goblet cells, which are crucial for viral replication, especially in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients. This study identifies goblet cells as a novel target for COVID-19 infection and potential therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Virology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, poses a global health threat with no approved treatments.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a significant risk factor for severe COVID-19 illness.
Approach:
- An airway epithelium model was developed to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthy and COPD lung cells.
- Expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor ACE2 and co-factor TMPRSS2 was analyzed in different lung cell types.
Key Points:
- Nonciliated goblet cells exhibit higher expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2, identifying them as a novel target for SARS-CoV-2.
- SARS-CoV-2 infection of goblet cells leads to syncytium formation and cell sloughing.
- Increased SARS-CoV-2 replication was observed in COPD airway epithelium, potentially due to goblet cell hyperplasia.
Conclusions:
- Goblet cells play a critical role in SARS-CoV-2 infection within the lung.
- Understanding goblet cell tropism may inform the development of targeted COVID-19 therapies, particularly for COPD patients.
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