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Mol Biomed
. 2021 Nov 23;2:38.
doi: 10.1186/s43556-021-00060-1. eCollection 2021 Dec.
Roles of host mitochondria in the development of COVID-19 pathology: Could mitochondria be a potential therapeutic target?
Kavya Srinivasan 1 2 , Ashutosh Kumar Pandey 3 , Ashlena Livingston 4 , Sundararajan Venkatesh 1
Affiliations
- PMID: 34841263
- PMCID: PMC8608434
- DOI: 10.1186/s43556-021-00060-1
Abstract
The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019 and its spread worldwide caused an acute pandemic of Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). Since then, COVID-19 has been under intense scrutiny as its outbreak led to significant changes in healthcare, social activities, and economic settings worldwide. Although angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor is shown to be the primary port of SARS-CoV-2 entry in cells, the mechanisms behind the establishment and pathologies of COVID-19 are poorly understood. As recent studies have shown that host mitochondria play an essential role in virus-mediated innate immune response, pathologies, and infection, in this review, we will discuss in detail the entry and progression of SARS-CoV-2 and how mitochondria could play roles in COVID-19 disease. We will also review the potential interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and mitochondria and discuss possible treatments, including whether mitochondria as a potential therapeutic target in COVID-19. Understanding SARS-CoV-2 and mitochondrial interactions mediated virus establishment, inflammation, and other consequences may provide a unique mechanism and conceptual advancement in finding a novel treatment for COVID-19.
Keywords: ACE-2 receptor; COVID-19; Cytokine storm; Inflammation; Mitochondria; SARS-CoV-2.