COVID-19 in the heart and the lungs: could we “Notch” the inflammatory storm?

• Published in: Basic research in cardiology Vol. 115; no. 3; p. 31
• Main Authors: Rizzo, Paola, Vieceli Dalla Sega, Francesco, Fortini, Francesca, Marracino, Luisa, Rapezzi, Claudio, Ferrari, Roberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 09-04-2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: ADAM17 Protein - antagonists & inhibitors; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2; Betacoronavirus - drug effects; Betacoronavirus - pathogenicity; Biological activity; Cardiology; Cardiovascular system; China; Congestive heart failure; Coronary artery disease; Coronavirus Infections - drug therapy; Coronavirus Infections - pathology; Coronavirus Infections - physiopathology; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease Progression; Editorial; Furin - metabolism; Heart Arrest - etiology; Heart Arrest - pathology; Heart Diseases - drug therapy; Heart Diseases - etiology; Heart Diseases - pathology; Heart Diseases - physiopathology; Heart Failure - etiology; Heart Failure - pathology; Humans; Infections; Inflammation; Interleukin-6 - immunology; Lung diseases; Lung Diseases - drug therapy; Lung Diseases - etiology; Lung Diseases - pathology; Lung Diseases - physiopathology; Lungs; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Myocarditis; Myocarditis - etiology; Myocarditis - pathology; Pandemics; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A - deficiency; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A - metabolism; Pneumonia, Viral - drug therapy; Pneumonia, Viral - pathology; Pneumonia, Viral - physiopathology; Pneumonia, Viral - virology; Receptors, Notch - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptors, Notch - metabolism; Respiratory diseases; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signaling; Viral diseases; China; COVID-19; ADAM17; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; Coronavirus disease; Notch; Cardiovascular disease; Furin
• ISSN: 0300-8428; 1435-1803; 1435-1803
• DOI: 10.1007/s00395-020-0791-5

From January 2020, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originated in China has spread around the world. The disease is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The presence of myocarditis, cardiac arrest, and acute heart failure in COVID-19 patients suggests the existence of a relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and cardiac disease. The Notch signalling is a major regulator of cardiovascular function and it is also implicated in several biological processes mediating viral infections. In this report we discuss the possibility to target Notch signalling to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and interfere with the progression of COVID-19- associated heart and lungs disease.