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An analysis of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry genes identifies the intestine and colorectal cancer as susceptible tissues.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Darvish-Damavandi, Mahnaz 
Laycock, James 
Ward, Christopher 
van Driel, Milou S 
Goldgraben, Mae A 

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent for the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has necessitated rapid changes in surgical practice and organisation through both the initial peak and ongoing recovery period 1. SARS-CoV-2 infects cells by interacting with the host cell surface protein ACE2 and utilises TMPRSS2 in viral spike protein priming to facilitate cell entry (Fig. 1a) 2. Whilst COVID-19 is predominantly a respiratory disease approximately 15% of patients have concurrent gastrointestinal symptoms 3. SARS-CoV-2 RNA and live virus have been identified in stool from COVID-19 patients and SARS-CoV-2 readily infects intestinal organoids 4-6. Despite these circumstantial data, gastrointestinal transmission has not yet been formally confirmed. Cancers commonly express different genes from the tissue of origin and it is largely unexplored whether tumours can be infected with SARS-CoV-2. We sought to explore the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in large publicly available normal tissue and pan-cancer expression data sets to understand whether levels of these genes identify susceptible tissues.

Description

Keywords

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, COVID-19, Colorectal Neoplasms, Disease Susceptibility, Humans, Intestinal Mucosa, Receptors, Virus, SARS-CoV-2, Serine Endopeptidases, Tissue Donors, Virus Internalization

Journal Title

Br J Surg

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0007-1323
1365-2168

Volume Title

107

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Cancer Research UK (A27178)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_17230)
SJAB is supported by an Advanced Clinician Scientist Fellowship grant from Cancer Research UK C14094/A27178; and core funding from Wellcome and MRC to the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute.