tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Stem Cell Res Ther
. 2020 Nov 30;11(1):514.
doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-02033-7.
Detection of viral RNA fragments in human iPSC cardiomyocytes following treatment with extracellular vesicles from SARS-CoV-2 coding sequence overexpressing lung epithelial cells
Youjeong Kwon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sarath Babu Nukala[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shubhi Srivastava[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Hiroe Miyamoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nur Izzah Ismail[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Jordan Jousma[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jalees Rehman[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP], Sang-Bing Ong[SUP] 6 7 8 [/SUP], Won Hee Lee[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Sang-Ging Ong[SUP] 10 11 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global pandemic. The prevalence/severity of COVID-19 is higher among patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Despite the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, in cardiomyocytes, there has been no conclusive evidence of direct viral infection although the presence of viral genome within COVID-19 patients' hearts has been reported. Here, we overexpressed SARS-CoV-2 genes in A549 lung epithelial cells. We then isolated extracellular vesicles (EVs) and detected the presence of viral RNA within these EVs. We observed that human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are receptive to these EVs, and viral genes were detectable in the cardiomyocytes. Accordingly, the uptake of viral RNA-harboring EVs led to an upregulation of inflammation-related genes in hiPSC-CMs. Thus, our findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 RNA containing EVs represents an indirect route of viral RNA entry into cardiomyocytes.
Keywords: COVID-19; Cardiomyocytes; Extracellular vesicles; Stem cells; iPSCs.
. 2020 Nov 30;11(1):514.
doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-02033-7.
Detection of viral RNA fragments in human iPSC cardiomyocytes following treatment with extracellular vesicles from SARS-CoV-2 coding sequence overexpressing lung epithelial cells
Youjeong Kwon[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sarath Babu Nukala[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shubhi Srivastava[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Hiroe Miyamoto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nur Izzah Ismail[SUP] 2 3 4 [/SUP], Jordan Jousma[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jalees Rehman[SUP] 1 5 [/SUP], Sang-Bing Ong[SUP] 6 7 8 [/SUP], Won Hee Lee[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Sang-Ging Ong[SUP] 10 11 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33256833
- DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-02033-7
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global pandemic. The prevalence/severity of COVID-19 is higher among patients with cardiovascular risk factors. Despite the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, in cardiomyocytes, there has been no conclusive evidence of direct viral infection although the presence of viral genome within COVID-19 patients' hearts has been reported. Here, we overexpressed SARS-CoV-2 genes in A549 lung epithelial cells. We then isolated extracellular vesicles (EVs) and detected the presence of viral RNA within these EVs. We observed that human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are receptive to these EVs, and viral genes were detectable in the cardiomyocytes. Accordingly, the uptake of viral RNA-harboring EVs led to an upregulation of inflammation-related genes in hiPSC-CMs. Thus, our findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 RNA containing EVs represents an indirect route of viral RNA entry into cardiomyocytes.
Keywords: COVID-19; Cardiomyocytes; Extracellular vesicles; Stem cells; iPSCs.