Inflammasome activation at the crux of severe COVID-19


Authors: Setu M. Vora,1,2Judy Lieberman,2,3 and Hao Wu1,2 Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), results in life-threatening disease in a minority of patients, especially elderly people and those with co-morbidities such as obesity and diabetes. Severe disease is characterized by dysregulated cytokine release, pneumonia and acute lung injury, which can […]

Decoding SARS-CoV-2 hijacking of host mitochondria in COVID-19 pathogenesis


Authors: Keshav K. Singh,* Gyaneshwer Chaubey,* Jake Y. Chen, and Prashanth Suravajhala Because of the ongoing pandemic around the world, the mechanisms underlying the SARS-CoV-2-induced COVID-19 are subject to intense investigation. Based on available data for the SARS-CoV-1 virus, we suggest how CoV-2 localization of RNA transcripts in mitochondria hijacks the host cell’s mitochondrial function to viral advantage. […]

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Impairs Endothelial Function via Downregulation of ACE 2


Authors: Yuyang Lei, Jiao Zhang, Cara R. Schiavon, Ming He, Lili Chen, Hui Shen, Yichi Zhang, Qian Yin, Yoshitake Cho, Leonardo Andrade, Gerald S. Shadel, Mark Hepokoski, Ting Lei, Hongliang Wang, Jin Zhang, Jason X., et. al. SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) infection relies on the binding of S protein (Sprotein (Spike glycoprotein) to ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) 2 in the host cells. Vascular endothelium can be infected by […]

COVID-19: A Mitochondrial Perspective


Authors: Pankaj Prasun 1 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the worst public health crisis of the century. Although we have made tremendous progress in understanding the pathogenesis of this disease, a lot more remains to be learned. Mitochondria appear to be important in COVID-19 pathogenesis because of its role in innate antiviral immunity, as well as […]

Decoding SARS-CoV-2 hijacking of host mitochondria in COVID-19 pathogenesis


Authors: Keshav K. Singh,* Gyaneshwer Chaubey,* Jake Y. Chen, and Prashanth Suravajhala Because of the ongoing pandemic around the world, the mechanisms underlying the SARS-CoV-2-induced COVID-19 are subject to intense investigation. Based on available data for the SARS-CoV-1 virus, we suggest how CoV-2 localization of RNA transcripts in mitochondria hijacks the host cell’s mitochondrial function to viral advantage. […]

The Thorny Problem Of COVID-19 Vaccines And Spike Proteins


Authors: W. Glen Pyle Almost since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a piece of the SARS-CoV2 virus called the “spike protein” has drawn interest from researchers and healthcare professionals. New research by Yuyang Lei and colleagues published in the journal Circulation Research sheds new light on how the spike protein might play a critical role in […]