Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE157526: Single cell resolution of SARS-CoV-2 tropism, antiviral responses, and susceptibility to therapies in primary human airway epithelium

Bulk RNA sequencing

The human airway epithelium is the initial site of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We used flow cytometry and single cell RNAseq to understand how the heterogeneity of this diverse cell population contributes to elements of viral tropism and pathogenesis, antiviral immunity, and treatment response to remdesivir. We found that, while a variety of cell types are susceptible to infection, ciliated cells are a predominant cell target for SARS-CoV-2. Remdesivir treatment effectively inhibited viral replication across cell types, and blunted hyperinflammatory responses. We also found that heavily infected epithelial cells demonstrate impaired IFN signaling and express abundant IL-6, a potential mediator of COVID-19 pathogenesis. SOURCE: Hezkiel,Arya,NandaTranslational Bioinformatics University of Minnesota