Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Palestra, Francesco
• Poto, Remo
• Ciardi, Renato
• Opromolla, Giorgia
• Secondo, Agnese
• Tedeschi, Valentina
• Ferrara, Anne Lise
• Di Crescenzo, Rosa Maria
• Galdiero, Maria Rosaria
• Cristinziano, Leonardo
• Modestino, Luca
• Marone, Gianni
• Fiorelli, Alfonso
• Varricchi, Gilda
• Loffredo, Stefania

Titel

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Activates Human Lung Macrophages

Ist Teil von

• International journal of molecular sciences, 2023-02, Vol.24 (3), p.3036

Ort / Verlag

Switzerland: MDPI AG

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Quelle

Free E-Journal (出版社公開部分のみ）

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• COVID-19 is a viral disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. This disease is characterized primarily, but not exclusively, by respiratory tract inflammation. SARS-CoV-2 infection relies on the binding of spike protein to ACE2 on the host cells. The virus uses the protease TMPRSS2 as an entry activator. Human lung macrophages (HLMs) are the most abundant immune cells in the lung and fulfill a variety of specialized functions mediated by the production of cytokines and chemokines. The aim of this project was to investigate the effects of spike protein on HLM activation and the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in HLMs. Spike protein induced CXCL8, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β release from HLMs; promoted efficient phagocytosis; and induced dysfunction of intracellular Ca concentration by increasing lysosomal Ca content in HLMs. Microscopy experiments revealed that HLM tracking was affected by spike protein activation. Finally, HLMs constitutively expressed mRNAs for ACE2 and TMPRSS2. In conclusion, during SARS-CoV-2 infection, macrophages seem to play a key role in lung injury, resulting in immunological dysfunction and respiratory disease.