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Comment
. 2022 Mar 1;34(3):352-354.
doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.02.005.

SARS-CoV-2 pirates the kidneys: A scar(y) story

Jochen Reiser  1 , Ryan Spear  2 , Shengyuan Luo  2
Affiliations
Comment

SARS-CoV-2 pirates the kidneys: A scar(y) story

Jochen Reiser et al. Cell Metab. .

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 can cause diverse severe and lasting damage to the kidneys. In the latest issue of Cell Stem Cell, Jansen et al. utilized data gleaned from human kidney autopsies and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived kidney organoids to investigate the direct effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on kidney cells. They found that such infections resulted in renal scarring (notably, tubulointerstitial fibrosis).

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests J.R. is cofounder, scientific advisory board co-chair, and shareholder of Walden Biosciences, a kidney therapeutic company. Other authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic overview of the kidney infected by SARS-CoV-2 or HIV Mechanisms and details of SARS-CoV-2 and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and their impact on the kidney. SARS-CoV-2, more than HIV, triggers an innate immune response that imposes systemic effects on the kidney, impacting glomerular injury and tubular injury. Both viruses can also infect kidney cells directly, which in the case of SARS-CoV-2 may contribute to fibrosis. Notably, systemic and cell-specific effects are compounded, which can increase risk further upon additional factors (e.g., suPAR, APOL1 risk variants).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

  • SARS-CoV-2 infects the human kidney and drives fibrosis in kidney organoids.
    Jansen J, Reimer KC, Nagai JS, Varghese FS, Overheul GJ, de Beer M, Roverts R, Daviran D, Fermin LAS, Willemsen B, Beukenboom M, Djudjaj S, von Stillfried S, van Eijk LE, Mastik M, Bulthuis M, Dunnen WD, van Goor H, Hillebrands JL, Triana SH, Alexandrov T, Timm MC, van den Berge BT, van den Broek M, Nlandu Q, Heijnert J, Bindels EMJ, Hoogenboezem RM, Mooren F, Kuppe C, Miesen P, Grünberg K, Ijzermans T, Steenbergen EJ, Czogalla J, Schreuder MF, Sommerdijk N, Akiva A, Boor P, Puelles VG, Floege J, Huber TB; COVID Moonshot consortium; van Rij RP, Costa IG, Schneider RK, Smeets B, Kramann R. Jansen J, et al. Cell Stem Cell. 2022 Feb 3;29(2):217-231.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.12.010. Epub 2021 Dec 25. Cell Stem Cell. 2022. PMID: 35032430 Free PMC article.

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