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Morris G, Athan E, Walder K, Bortolasci CC, O'Neil A, Marx W, Berk M, Carvalho AF, Maes M, Puri BK. Can endolysosomal deacidification and inhibition of autophagy prevent severe COVID-19? Life Sci 2020; 262:118541. [PMID: 33035581 PMCID: PMC7537668 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The possibility is examined that immunomodulatory pharmacotherapy may be clinically useful in managing the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), known to result from infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. The dominant route of cell entry of the coronavirus is via phagocytosis, with ensconcement in endosomes thereafter proceeding via the endosomal pathway, involving transfer from early (EEs) to late endosomes (LEs) and ultimately into lysosomes via endolysosomal fusion. EE to LE transportation is a rate-limiting step for coronaviruses. Hence inhibition or dysregulation of endosomal trafficking could potentially inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication. Furthermore, the acidic luminal pH of the endolysosomal system is critical for the activity of numerous pH-sensitive hydrolytic enzymes. Golgi sub-compartments and Golgi-derived secretory vesicles also depend on being mildly acidic for optimal function and structure. Activation of endosomal toll-like receptors by viral RNA can upregulate inflammatory mediators and contribute to a systemic inflammatory cytokine storm, associated with a worsened clinical outcome in COVID-19. Such endosomal toll-like receptors could be inhibited by the use of pharmacological agents which increase endosomal pH, thereby reducing the activity of acid-dependent endosomal proteases required for their activity and/or assembly, leading to suppression of antigen-presenting cell activity, decreased autoantibody secretion, decreased nuclear factor-kappa B activity and decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine production. It is also noteworthy that SARS-CoV-2 inhibits autophagy, predisposing infected cells to apoptosis. It is therefore also suggested that further pharmacological inhibition of autophagy might encourage the apoptotic clearance of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerwyn Morris
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eugene Athan
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Infectious Disease, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
| | - Ken Walder
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Chiara C Bortolasci
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Deakin University, Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Adrienne O'Neil
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wolf Marx
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, the Department of Psychiatry, the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - André F Carvalho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Maes
- Deakin University, IMPACT, the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Geelong, Victoria, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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