Cholinergic α7 nAChR signaling suppresses SARS-CoV-2 infection and inflammation in lung epithelial cells
Jing Wen, Jing Sun, Yanhong Tang, Jincun Zhao, Xiao Su
doi:10.1093/jmcb/mjad048/7231085
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused more than 6 million deaths and poses a huge threat to the global economy and public health. SARS-CoV-2 enters lung epithelial cells depending on S protein binding with angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In-silico studies have shown that both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 S glycoproteins can interact with the extracellular domain of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). Hydroxychloroquine, a known SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor, acts at the entry stage of SARS-CoV-2 by blocking the virus-binding sites on the two receptors, ACE2 and α7 nAChR (Navya and Hosur, 2021). Given that α7 nAChR possesses anti-inflammatory effects and could interact with the SARS-CoV-2 S protein,
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