Fig. Pathogenesis of COVID-19 symptoms and therapeutic strategies. (IMAGE)

Osaka University

Fig. Pathogenesis of COVID-19 symptoms and therapeutic strategies.

Caption

The insulin/IGF signaling pathway plays an important role in many biological processes, such as energy metabolism and cell survival. SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs transcriptional expression of the insulin/IGF signaling pathway in the host lung, liver adipose tissue, and pancreatic cells, which is likely attributed to interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1). The pathological trait is aggravated in whole blood, a systemic indicator, of critical patients with COVID-19 with exacerbated cell damage, cell death, and metabolic abnormalities, which could be ameliorated by androgen (DHT) and/or glucocorticoid (DEX) interventions. Higher basal IRF1 expression by pathological (older age, male sex, obesity, and diabetes) reasons in respiratory, metabolic, and/or endocrine organs might contribute to synergistic upregulation of IRF1 in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may make the people more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Credit

©2022 Jihoon Shin., SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs the insulin/IGF signaling pathway in the lung, liver, adipose tissue, and pancreatic cells via IRF1, Metabolism

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