tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Med Virol
. 2025 Dec;97(12):e70721.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.70721. The Role of ACE2 in SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Pathogenesis, and Antiviral Interventions
Michael A McVoy[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Apparao B Kummarapurugu[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
The devastating clinical, psychological, and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by global spread of the second Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has engendered a massive response from the scientific community to rapidly understand the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and to develop interventions to prevent infection or progression to life-threatening disease. Angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) and its interaction with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein, which mediates fusion of the virion envelope with the target cell membrane, have emerged as a major pharmacological target, as disruption of the Spike-ACE2 interaction prevents cells from becoming infected and hence from producing viral progeny. Moreover, the dysregulation of ACE2 that occurs in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection may have broader implications for COVID-19 pathogenesis. Here we summarize the role of ACE2 as a physiologic regulator of human health, as a facilitator of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as a factor in COVID-19 disease, and as a target for pharmacological interventions.
Keywords: ACE2; Antivirals; COVID‐19; S protein; SARS‐CoV‐2; Spike.
. 2025 Dec;97(12):e70721.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.70721. The Role of ACE2 in SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Pathogenesis, and Antiviral Interventions
Michael A McVoy[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Apparao B Kummarapurugu[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 41347658
- PMCID: PMC12679686
- DOI: 10.1002/jmv.70721
The devastating clinical, psychological, and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by global spread of the second Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has engendered a massive response from the scientific community to rapidly understand the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and to develop interventions to prevent infection or progression to life-threatening disease. Angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) and its interaction with the SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein, which mediates fusion of the virion envelope with the target cell membrane, have emerged as a major pharmacological target, as disruption of the Spike-ACE2 interaction prevents cells from becoming infected and hence from producing viral progeny. Moreover, the dysregulation of ACE2 that occurs in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection may have broader implications for COVID-19 pathogenesis. Here we summarize the role of ACE2 as a physiologic regulator of human health, as a facilitator of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as a factor in COVID-19 disease, and as a target for pharmacological interventions.
Keywords: ACE2; Antivirals; COVID‐19; S protein; SARS‐CoV‐2; Spike.