Researchers: Blood pressure enzyme directly related to SARS infection
Emergency Management Alert, July 12, 2005
An enzyme that regulates blood pressure is also involved in infection by the SARS virus, according to researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
This finding may teach health officials important lessons on how to fight deadly diseases that result in lung failure, such as SARS and bird flu, and also how to combat bioterrorism weapons like anthrax.
Working with mice, researchers learned that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a key receptor for the SARS virus. When the SARS virus binds to ACE2, it disrupts the body's protective rennin-angiotensin system. This often leads to respiratory distress syndrome as fluids seep into the air sacks.
Because disabling ACE2 results in lung damage, researchers created more ACE2 and infused it into the mice. ACE2 combined with the virus and prevented it from affecting normal cells. The enzyme also protected the mice from lung failure.
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