The doorway that SARS – CoV2 uses to enter cells undetected was recently revealed by a study.
The receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, or ACE2, is used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect human cells. However, this receptor does not fully describe how the virus enters cells on its own. ACE2 is like a doorknob; when SARS-CoV-2 grabs it and moves it precisely, the virus is able to enter the cell and enter through the interworking doorway. Scientists were unable to identify the door, though.
That door is made up of cholesterol clusters, according to Scott Hansen, an associate professor of molecular medicine at the University of Florida Scripps. The Journal of Biological Chemistry published the research of his team.
The elderly and people with chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular diseases experienced more viral-related deaths at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children, however, appeared to be less vulnerable.
Hansen proposed that the high levels of tissue cholesterol in people with chronic disease were a contributing factor in this phenomenon. 86.4 million adults in the United States who were 20 years of age or older had high or near-high blood cholesterol between 2017 and 2020.
His team demonstrated that cholesterol on the cell surface makes ACE2 easily accessible to SARS-CoV2 for cell entry after completing studies using cutting-edge technology like super resolution microscopy.
Lipids, or fat, are a protective layer on our cells that keeps intruders and harmful molecules out. A portion of the area where nutrients enter the cell is cholesterol. Since I live in Florida, we consider this mechanism to be similar to how you would batten down the hatches after gathering resources in the event of a hurricane. However, when you pull the door closed, this virus is sneaking in.
University of Florida Scripps associate professor of molecular medicine Scott Hansen
Although cholesterol is essential for survival, too much of it may raise your risk for COVID-19 at the cellular and biochemical levels.
According to Hansen,” In smokers with chronic disease, cholesterol in the lung tissue is elevated two-fold, a magnitude of change that significantly increases virus infectivity in cell culture.” In fact, smoking was linked to a higher risk of severe COVID-19, including death, according to research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Hansen’s prior research, however, has demonstrated that it is simple to disrupt the cholesterol that promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection in order to help patients maintain their health and prevent infection.
According to Hansen,” Mechanical force and polyunsaturated fatty acids disrupt the aggregation of cholesterol.” Exercise produces a healthy mechanical force. According to our research, a little bit of cell jostling is necessary to prevent cholesterol from accumulating in the cell membrane. The cholesterol aggregates in the cell membranes should be reduced by regular exercise, which increases heart rate and blood flow.
Hansen’s study highlighted the errors in the way doctors evaluate cholesterol risk in their patients in addition to providing new insights into the entry mechanism of SARS-CoV-2. Currently, a blood test is the only way to determine cholesterol levels.
According to Hansen,” Basically, cholesterol goes both ways.” The forward pathway is where it is loaded into cells. Reverse cholesterol transport, on the other hand, involves the body returning cholesterol from the cells to your liver, where it is excreted or recycled. You cannot determine the levels in the tissue or whether cholesterol is being removed or introduced if you measure blood cholesterol levels.
In order to develop a test that more accurately depicts tissue cholesterol and its distribution throughout the body, Hansen and his team are collaborating with medical professionals.
According to Hansen,” In the future, this study may have an impact on how doctors think about cholesterol in the body.” Instead of concentrating on the blood, which changes every time you eat, they will need to pay attention to the tissues and how cholesterol is metabolized over time. Although it is a more difficult measurement, it may ultimately aid in understanding people’s risk of disease and save lives.