Inhaled Corticosteroids Downregulates The SARS-CoV-2 Receptor ACE2 In COPD Through Suppression Of Type I Interferon

Inhaled corticosteroids could be the reason that many COPD patients do not seem to be affected by the COVID-19 disease despite the earlier assumptions that most COPD patients were more likely to get sickened badly by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However the few that do contract the COVID-19, normally end up in extremely severe conditions.

The research led by Dr Aran Singanayagam PhD. MRCP from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, involved both animal models in the first part and a human clinical trial involving a cohort of 40 patients showed that inhaled corticosteroids reduced the expression of ACE-2 receptors in the endothelial cells of the respiratory tract, hence reducing the capability of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus to find targets for binding…Read more