SARS-CoV-2 particles promote airway epithelial differentiation and ciliation.

The Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, enters the human body via the epithelial cells of the airway tract. To trap and eject pathogens, the airway epithelium is composed of ciliated and secretory cells that produce mucus which is expelled through a process called mucociliary clearance. This study examines the early stages of contact between SARS-CoV-2 particles and the respiratory epithelium, utilizing 3D airway tri-culture models exposed to ultraviolet light-irradiated virus particles.