Therapy Targets SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Induced Cell Death

Zhoujie Zhu; Jiayi Shi; Long Li; Jinling Wang; Yufen Zhao; Huabin Ma

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.870216

Therapy Targets SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Induced Cell Death

Front Immunol. 2022 May 17:13:870216. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.870216. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Zhoujie Zhu¹, Jiayi Shi¹, Long Li^{1

2}, Jinling Wang³, Yufen Zhao^{1

2}, Huabin Ma^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
² Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
³ School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health issue. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 is highly variable, ranging from asymptomatic and mild disease to severe. However, the mechanisms for the high mortality induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection are still not well understood. Recent studies have indicated that the cytokine storm might play an essential role in the disease progression in patients with COVID-19, which is characterized by the uncontrolled release of cytokines and chemokines leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multi-organ failure, and even death. Cell death, especially, inflammatory cell death, might be the initiation of a cytokine storm caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review summarizes the forms of cell death caused by SARS-CoV-2 in vivo or in vitro and elaborates on the dedication of apoptosis, necroptosis, NETosis, pyroptosis of syncytia, and even SARS-CoV-2 E proteins forming channel induced cell death, providing insights into targets on the cell death pathway for the treatment of COVID-19.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; apoptosis; cell death; necroptosis; syncytia pyroptosis.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Cell Death
Cytokine Release Syndrome
Humans
Respiratory Distress Syndrome*
SARS-CoV-2