Evaluation of Tcell exhaustion based on the expression of EOMES, Tbet and co-inhibitory receptors in severe and non-severe covid-19 patients

Consequences of COVID-19 on Adipose Tissue Signatures

Since the emergence of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in 2019, it has been crucial to investigate the causes of severe cases, particularly the higher rates of hospitalization and mortality in individuals with obesity. Previous findings suggest that adipocytes may play a role in adverse COVID-19 outcomes in people with obesity. The impact of COVID-19 vaccination and infection on adipose tissue (AT) is currently unclear. We therefore analyzed 27 paired biopsies of visceral and subcutaneous AT from donors of the Leipzig Obesity BioBank that have been categorized into three groups (1: no infection/no vaccination; 2: no infection but vaccinated; 3: infected and vaccinated) based on COVID-19 antibodies to spike (indicating vaccination) and/or nucleocapsid proteins. We provide additional insights into the impact of COVID-19 on AT biology through a comprehensive histological transcriptome and serum proteome analysis. This study demonstrates that COVID-19 infection is associated with smaller average adipocyte size. The impact of infection on gene expression was significantly more pronounced in subcutaneous than in visceral AT and mainly due to immune system-related processes. Serum proteome analysis revealed the effects of the infection on circulating adiponectin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and carbonic anhydrase 5A (CA5A), which are all related to obesity and blood glucose abnormalities.

The kinetics of inhibitory immune checkpoints during and post-COVID-19: the knowns and unknowns

The immune system is tightly regulated to prevent immune reactions to self-antigens and to avoid excessive immune responses during and after challenges from non-self-antigens. Inhibitory immune checkpoints (IICPs), as the major regulators of immune system responses, are extremely important for maintaining the homeostasis of cells and tissues. However, the high and sustained co-expression of IICPs in chronic infections, under persistent antigenic stimulations, results in reduced immune cell functioning and more severe and prolonged disease complications. Furthermore, IICPs-mediated interactions can be hijacked by pathogens in order to evade immune induction or effector mechanisms. Therefore, IICPs can be potential targets for the prognosis and treatment of chronic infectious diseases. This is especially the case with regards to the most challenging infectious disease of recent times, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), whose long-term complications can persist long after recovery. This article reviews the current knowledge about the kinetics and functioning of the IICPs during and post-COVID-19.

Insights into COVID-19: Perspectives on Drug Remedies and Host Cell Responses

In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, ongoing research has centered on minimizing viral spread either by stopping viral entry or inhibiting viral replication. Repurposing antiviral drugs, typically nucleoside analogs, has proven successful at inhibiting virus replication. This review summarizes current information regarding coronavirus classification and characterization and presents the broad clinical consequences of SARS-CoV-2 activation of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor expressed in different human cell types. It provides publicly available knowledge on the chemical nature of proposed therapeutics and their target biomolecules to assist in the identification of potentially new drugs for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.