Altered ACE2 and interferon landscape in the COVID-19 microenvironment correlate with the anti-PD-1 response in solid tumors.

Angiotensensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) is a receptor for SARS-CoV-2, allowing the virus to enter cells. Although tumor patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 often have a worse outcome, the expression, function and clinical relevance of ACE2 in tumors has not yet been thoroughly analyzed. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from tumors, adjacent tissues and whole blood samples of COVID-19 patients from genome databases and from tumor cell lines and endothelial cells infected with different SARS-CoV-2 variants or transfected with an ACE2 expression vector (ACE2) or mock (ACE2) were analyzed for the expression of ACE2 and immune response relevant molecules in silico or by qPCR, flow cytometry, Western blot and/or RNA-seq.

Immune Interaction Map of Human SARS-CoV-2 Target Genes: Implications for Therapeutic Avenues.

There exists increasing evidence that people with preceding medical conditions, such as diabetes and cancer, have a higher risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 and are more vulnerable to severe disease. To get insights into the possible role of the immune system upon COVID-19 infection, 2811 genes of the gene ontology term "immune system process GO: 0002376" were selected for coexpression analysis of the human targets of SARS-CoV-2 (HT-SARS-CoV-2) ACE2, TMPRSS2, and FURIN in tissue samples from patients with cancer and diabetes mellitus. The network between HT-SARS-CoV-2 and immune system process genes was analyzed based on functional protein associations using STRING.

Expression and Clinical Significance of SARS-CoV-2 Human Targets in Neoplastic and Non-Neoplastic Lung Tissues.

Background: A higher incidence of COVID-19 infection was demonstrated in cancer patients, including lung cancer patients. This study was conducted to get insights into the enhanced frequency of COVID-19 infection in cancer.

Methods: Using different bioinformatics tools, the expression and methylation patterns of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 were analyzed in healthy and malignant tissues, focusing on lung adenocarcinoma and data were correlated to clinical parameters and smoking history.

Influence of oxygen deficiency and the role of specific amino acids in cryopreservation of garlic shoot tips.

Background: Garlic has lost its ability to form seeds in the course of its domestication. Therefore, the germplasm storage via cryopreservation is increasingly applied. The progression of the various steps within the cryopreservation procedure is accompanied by declining survival rates of the explants.