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TMPRSS2 Contributes to Virus Spread and Immunopathology in the Airways of Murine Models after Coronavirus Infection

2019; American Society for Microbiology; Volume: 93; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1128/jvi.01815-18

1098-5514

Naoko Iwata‐Yoshikawa, Tadashi Okamura, Yukiko Shimizu, Hideki Hasegawa, Makoto Takeda, Noriyo Nagata,

COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies

Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs against highly pathogenic coronaviruses and other emerging viruses are desirable to enable a rapid response to pandemic threats. Transmembrane protease serine type 2 (TMPRSS2), a protease belonging to the type II transmembrane serine protease family, cleaves the coronavirus spike protein, making it a potential therapeutic target for coronavirus infections. Here, we examined the role of TMPRSS2 using animal models of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infection. The results suggest that lack of TMPRSS2 in the airways reduces the severity of lung pathology after infection by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Taken together, the results will facilitate development of novel targets for coronavirus therapy.