Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38936937›Full record

ArticleIn vivo (Athens, Greece)

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Induces Oxidative Stress and Senescence in Mouse and Human Lung.

Joel S Greenberger, Wen Hou, Donna Shields, Renee Fisher, Michael W Epperly, Inderpal Sarkaria, Peter Wipf, Hong Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in In vivo (Athens, Greece). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Placentas From SARS-CoV-2 Infection During Pregnancy Exhibit Foci of Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Joel S GreenbergerDepartment of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.; greenbergerjs@upmc.edu.
Wen HouDepartment of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Donna ShieldsDepartment of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Renee FisherDepartment of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Michael W EpperlyDepartment of Radiation Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Inderpal SarkariaDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, UPMC-Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Peter WipfDepartment of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
Hong WangDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.

Funding

VECTOR CORE FACILITYP30CA047904 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI CHRISTOPHER J. BAKKENIST · 1988 to 2026
$158.0M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA047904
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimThere is concern that people who had COVID-19 will develop pulmonary fibrosis. Using mouse models, we compared pulmonary inflammation following injection of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) to radiation-induced inflammation to demonstrate similarities between the two models. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) induces inflammatory cytokines and stress responses, which are also common to ionizing irradiation-induced acute pulmonary damage. Cellular senescence, which is a late effect following exposure to SARS-CoV-2 as well as radiation, was investigated. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe evaluated the effect of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein compared to ionizing irradiation in K18-hACE2 mouse lung, human lung cell lines, and in freshly explanted human lung. We measured reactive oxygen species, DNA double-strand breaks, stimulation of transforming growth factor-beta pathways, and cellular senescence following exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, irradiation or SARS-COV-2 and irradiation. We also measured the effects of the antioxidant radiation mitigator MMS350 following irradiation or exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

resultsSARS-CoV-2 spike protein induced reactive oxygen species, DNA double-strand breaks, transforming growth factor-β signaling pathways, and senescence, which were exacerbated by prior or subsequent ionizing irradiation. The water-soluble radiation countermeasure, MMS350, reduced spike protein-induced changes.

conclusionIn both the SARS-Co-2 and the irradiation mouse models, similar responses were seen indicating that irradiation or exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus may lead to similar lung diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis. Combination of irradiation and SARS-CoV-2 may result in a more severe case of pulmonary fibrosis. Cellular senescence may explain some of the late effects of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and to ionizing irradiation.

Indexed as

Cellular SenescenceCOVID-19LungOxidative StressReactive Oxygen SpeciesSARS-CoV-2Spike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusAnimalsCell LineDisease Models, AnimalDNA Breaks, Double-StrandedHumansMiceTransforming Growth Factor betaReactive Oxygen SpeciesSpike Glycoprotein, Coronavirusspike protein, SARS-CoV-2Transforming Growth Factor betaCOVID-19oxidative stressReactive oxygen speciesspike protein

Identifiers

PMID38936937
PMCPMC11215613

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.