The "Elastic Perspective" of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and the Role of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors.

ABSTRACT: Elastin represents the structural component of the extracellular matrix providing elastic recoil to tissues such as skin, blood vessels and lungs. Elastogenic cells secrete soluble tropoelastin monomers into the extracellular space where these monomers associate with other matrix proteins (e.g., microfibrils and glycoproteins) and are crosslinked by lysyl oxidase to form insoluble fibres. Once elastic fibres are formed, they are very stable, highly resistant to degradation and have an almost negligible turnover. However, there are circumstances, mainly related to inflammatory conditions, where increased proteolytic degradation of elastic fibres may lead to consequences of major clinical relevance. In severely affected COVID-19 patients, for instance, the massive recruitment and activation

SUBMITTER: Boraldi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8835950 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature