Virus receptor may help explain why older people and men are more at risk from COVID-19

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-01-18 05:00

Australia; NSW; WA; TAS

The virus which causes COVID-19 gets into our cells through a receptor called ACE2, and now Australian researchers have shown that older people and men tend to have more of this receptor on the cells of their lower lungs, which may go some way to explaining their higher risk of COVID-19. The study also found that asthmatics tend to have fewer ACE2 receptors on their lungs which may partly explain the relative sparing of people with asthma from severe COVID-19.

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Journal/
conference: Respirology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The University of Newcastle, Telethon Kids Institute, Curtin University, University of Tasmania, University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

Funder: S.S.S. is supported by the Clifford Craig Foundation Launceston General Hospital and the Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation. P.M.H. is funded by the Clifford Craig Foundation Launceston General Hospital, a Rebecca L. Cooper Fellowship and grants from the National Health and Medical Research Foundation Council (NHMRC) of Australia (1079187 and 1175134) and SPHERE.

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