Development of a physiologically relevant lung model for understanding SARS-CoV-2 infection

Covid-19 is known to infect the lungs. However, the dynamics of viral infection and replication are poorly understood. Alongside the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, we have been working to develop a human lung epithelium model of SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication.

Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Lyle Armstrong has written an article in the latest issue of Drug Target Review about the research. In the article, he describes the data that has shown the model can be successfully infected with SARS-CoV-2, via angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) proteins expressed on the cell surface, and allows replication of the virus once inside its cells. The model provides a valuable platform to study SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and to evaluate candidate vaccines and therapeutics.