RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Lung epithelial stem cells express SARS-CoV-2 entry factors: implications for COVID-19
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2020.05.23.107334
DO 10.1101/2020.05.23.107334
A1 Anna A. Valyaeva
A1 Anastasia A. Zharikova
A1 Artem S. Kasianov
A1 Yegor S. Vassetzky
A1 Eugene V. Sheval
YR 2020
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2020/09/21/2020.05.23.107334.abstract
AB SARS-CoV-2 can infiltrate the lower respiratory tract, resulting in severe respiratory failure and a high death rate. Normally, the airway and alveolar epithelium can be rapidly reconstituted by multipotent stem cells after episodes of infection. Here, we analyzed published RNA-seq datasets and demonstrated that cells of four different lung epithelial stem cell types express SARS-CoV-2 entry factors, including Ace2. Thus, stem cells can be potentially infected by SARS-CoV-2, which may lead to defects in regeneration capacity partially accounting for the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its consequences.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.