The Potential of ACE Kit-WST in Discovery of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors to Suppress Inflammation after Viral Infection (COVID-19)

ACE Kit-WST is expected to be an advantageous tool to support the discovery of ACE inhibitors effective at suppressing inflammation after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) produces angiotensin II (Ang II), a vasoconstrictor, from the C-terminus of angiotensin I (Ang I), which has almost no biological activity. ACE and Ang II activity is countered by ACE2, which functions to cleave inflammatory Ang II into non-inflammatory peptide Ang 1-7.

During SARS-CoV-2 infection, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) from the cell membrane is taken up into cells along with the virus, decreasing ACE2 activity on the cell membrane. As a result, angiotensin II (Ang II), which had been counteracted by ACE2, becomes uninhibited, beginning a cascade towards an inflammatory cytokine storm that has been suggested to promote lung damage.

Thus, Ang-II mediated cytokine storm is considered to be an important mechanism of severe COVID-19. Therefore, ACE inhibitors, which suppress the Ang II system, are currently expected to reduce the risk of severe Covid-19 symptoms brought on by inflammation, such as acute respiratory distress.


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