ReviewMolecular psychiatry2025
Expression of SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor ACE2 in human brain and its association with Alzheimer's disease and COVID-19.
Review in Molecular psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Cerebrospinal fluid and frontal cortex TMPRSS2 and ACE2 protein levels differ in Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.Acta neuropathologica communications · 2026Article
- From HIV to SARS-CoV-2 associated neurological disorder ("HAND" to "SAND"): Viral infection as a "time-bomb" for the aging brain.Neuroscience applied · 2026Review
- ACE2: Friend or Foe in Post-COVID-19 Neurodegeneration?International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors.
Funding
Abstract
It is known that infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cause coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is widely reported that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with the highest risk of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and mortality. However, it remains largely unclear about the link between AD and COVID-19. ACE2 is an entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2. We consider that there may be a link between AD and COVID-19 through the expression of ACE2. Here, we summarize recent findings about the ACE2 expression especially in AD and COVID-19, and shows that (1) ACE2 shows mRNA and protein expression in human brain tissues, especially in neurons and non-neuron cells; (2) low ACE2 mRNA and protein expression are sufficient for SARS-CoV-2 entry into the human brain through the neural route (olfactory and/or vagal) and the hematogenous route; (3) SARS-CoV-2 RNA and protein were detected in brains of COVID-19 patients; (4) SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in human brain dependent on ACE2; (5) SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA load shows a positive association with ACE2 mRNA levels and COVID-19 severity; (6) ACE2 shows increased expression in AD compared with controls in human brain; (7) ACE2 shows increased expression in COVID-19 compared with controls in human brain; (8) ACE2 expression levels affect COVID-19 outcomes. Together, ACE2 shows significantly increased mRNA and protein expression in AD compared with controls in human brain. Consequently, the increased expression of ACE2 would facilitate infection with SARS-CoV-2, and play a role in the context of COVID-19. These findings suggest that the expression of ACE2 may partly explain the link of AD with COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and mortality.
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Registered trials
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.