In vitro evidence against productive SARS-CoV-2 infection of human testicular cells: Bystander effects of infection mediate testicular injury.

ABSTRACT: The hallmark of severe COVID-19 involves systemic cytokine storm and multi-organ failure including testicular injury and germ cell depletion. The ACE2 receptor is also expressed in the resident testicular cells however, SARS-CoV-2 infection and mechanisms of testicular injury are not fully understood. The testicular injury can likely result either from direct virus infection of resident cells or by exposure to systemic inflammatory mediators or virus antigens. We here characterized SARS-CoV-2 infection in different human testicular 2D and 3D models including primary Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, mixed seminiferous tubule cells (STC), and 3D human testicular organoids (HTO). Data shows that SARS-CoV-2 does not establish a productive infection in any testicular cell types. However, exposure o

SUBMITTER: Giannakopoulos S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9516847 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature