Hyaluronan Ameliorates Viral Pneumonia in Mice and Humans by Inhibiting Transcription Factor E2F1.

ABSTRACT: Viral lung infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite significant advances in vaccines and antivirals, there remains a tremendous need for broadly applicable treatments that can be utilized across viral infections. Before infecting epithelial cells, viruses interact with the epithelial glycocalyx, which contains high-molecular weight hyaluronan (HMWHA), a glycosaminoglycan that has beneficial effects in lung injury. In this study, we sought to determine the role of HMWHA in viral pneumonia. We infected mice with influenza or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and treated them with prophylactic or therapeutic doses of HMWHA or saline control. We performed in vitro experiments of infection with viruses of respiratory and nonrespirator

SUBMITTER: Stober VP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12825446 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature