Secreted ORF8 reprograms macrophages to enhance SARS-CoV-2 infection of lung epithelial cells.

ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) primarily targets the respiratory epithelium, yet severe disease features diffuse lung injury and hyperinflammatory syndromes driven by dysregulated immune activation. Emerging evidence indicates that resident and infiltrating immune cells in the lung can encounter the virus early in infection and, under specific conditions, become infected. This process amplifies local inflammation and facilitates viral propagation in the lower airways and distal lung regions, where angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression is limited. However, how epithelial and immune cell compartments interact to produce the hallmark pulmonary pathology of SARS-CoV-2 infection remains unresolved. Here we show that secreted ORF8, a SARS-CoV-2 accessory

SUBMITTER: Matsui Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13588166 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature