Notably, the use of hrsACE2 did not impede the generation of neutralizing antibodies, leading to a significant clinical improvement of the treated patient.
A pandemic spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for more than one million deaths due to COVID-19.
ACE2 is a transmembrane protein typically known for its carboxypeptidase activity and its physiological role in the renin-angiotensin system.
ACE2 hydrolyzes angiotensin II to its metabolite, angiotensin 1–7 and angiotensin I to angiotensin 1–9 to protect diverse tissues from injury (Fig.
1 Schematic diagram of the renin-angiotensin system and the proposed therapeutic treatment for COVID-19 targeting SARS-CoV-2 viral entry mechanism.
(Left) The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 binds to ACE2, allowing host cell entry and infection.
ADAM17 cleaves the extracellular juxta-membrane region of ACE2, whether such ACE2 cleavage contributes to SARS pathogenesis is not known yet. »
