Dr. Josef Penninger and an international team are currently investigating the potential effectiveness of the enzyme ACE2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2) in Covid-19. A first therapeutic approach was taken on organoids infected with Covid-19. The first results of the study are viewed positively by the scientists. The effectiveness of human recombinant ACE2 (hrACE2) was demonstrated on cell cultures and human organoids.
Organoids
Organoids are tiny, organ-like structures that are cultivated from human stem cells. With the help of these structures, diseases can be modeled – infectious diseases can be studied. Oragnoids are also suitable for testing drugs in the human cell structure.
At the IMBA, brain organoids are also researched, so scientists can understand how certain viruses trigger malformations in the brain. Blood vessel organoids and kidney organoids are used in the current study. The team found that the virus can directly infect the organoids and thus replicate in these tissues. This allowed important information about the development of the disease to be obtained. The clinic shows that severe cases of corona infection are associated with multi-organ failure and signs of cardiovascular damage – the researchers have now been able to understand this in vitro.
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