The innate immune response, microenvironment proteinases, and the COVID-19 pandemic: pathophysiologic mechanisms and emerging therapeutic targets.

ABSTRACT: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, causing considerable mortality and morbidity worldwide, has fully engaged the biomedical community in attempts to elucidate the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and develop robust therapeutic strategies. To this end, the predominant research focus has been on the adaptive immune response to COVID-19 infections stimulated by mRNA and protein vaccines and on the duration and persistence of immune protection. In contrast, the role of the innate immune response to the viral challenge has been underrepresented. This overview focuses on the innate immune response to COVID-19 infection, with an emphasis on the roles of extracellular proteases in the tissue microenvironment. Proteinase-mediated signaling caused by enzymes in the extracellular microenvir

SUBMITTER: Hollenberg MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8931295 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature