Understanding COVID-19-associated endothelial dysfunction: role of PIEZO1 as a potential therapeutic target

Front Immunol. 2024 Feb 29:15:1281263. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1281263. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Due to its high infectivity, the pandemic has rapidly spread and become a global health crisis. Emerging evidence indicates that endothelial dysfunction may play a central role in the multiorgan injuries associated with COVID-19. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover and validate novel therapeutic strategies targeting endothelial cells. PIEZO1, a mechanosensitive (MS) ion channel highly expressed in the blood vessels of various tissues, has garnered increasing attention for its potential involvement in the regulation of inflammation, thrombosis, and endothelial integrity. This review aims to provide a novel perspective on the potential role of PIEZO1 as a promising target for mitigating COVID-19-associated endothelial dysfunction.

Keywords: COVID-19; PIEZO1; SARS-CoV-2; endothelial dysfunction; immunothrombosis; therapeutic target..

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Endothelial Cells
  • Endothelium
  • Humans
  • Inflammation
  • Ion Channels
  • SARS-CoV-2

Substances

  • PIEZO1 protein, human
  • Ion Channels

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by the Fund Project of Shanghai Science and Technology Committee Rising-Star Program (19QA1408500).