COVID-19: the vasculature unleashed

Laure-Anne Teuwen; Vincent Geldhof; Alessandra Pasut; Peter Carmeliet

doi:10.1038/s41577-020-0343-0

COVID-19: the vasculature unleashed

Nat Rev Immunol. 2020 Jul;20(7):389-391. doi: 10.1038/s41577-020-0343-0.

Authors

Laure-Anne Teuwen^{1

2

3}, Vincent Geldhof¹, Alessandra Pasut¹, Peter Carmeliet^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
² Translational Cancer Research Unit, GZA Hospitals Sint-Augustinus, Antwerp, Belgium.
³ Center for Oncological Research, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
⁴ Laboratory of Angiogenesis and Vascular Metabolism, Center for Cancer Biology, VIB, Department of Oncology, Leuven Cancer Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. peter.carmeliet@kuleuven.vib.be.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China. peter.carmeliet@kuleuven.vib.be.

Abstract

On the basis of emerging evidence from patients with COVID-19, we postulate that endothelial cells are essential contributors to the initiation and propagation of severe COVID-19. Here, we discuss current insights into the link between endothelial cells, viral infection and inflammatory changes and propose novel therapeutic strategies.

MeSH terms

COVID-19
Clinical Trials as Topic
Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy
Coronavirus Infections / pathology*
Cytokine Release Syndrome / pathology
Cytokines / immunology
Drug Delivery Systems
Endothelial Cells / pathology*
Humans
Inflammation / immunology
Inflammation / pathology
Lung / pathology*
Pandemics
Pericytes / pathology
Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy
Pneumonia, Viral / pathology*

Substances

Cytokines