Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41114586›Full record

ArticlemBio2025

Nasal mucus-derived KLK13 restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection via proteolytic cleavage of spike.

Wenying Cao, Ningze Zheng, Hehe Cao, Ran Chen, Jianheng Chen, Xueyi Deng, Hui Zhang, Shuofeng Yuan, Guigen Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in mBio, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

9 authors.

Wenying Cao *Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Ningze Zheng *Institute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Hehe Cao *State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Ran ChenInstitute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jianheng ChenInstitute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xueyi DengInstitute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Hui ZhangInstitute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0003-3620-610X
Shuofeng YuanState Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7996-1119
Guigen ZhangInstitute of Human Virology, Department of Pathogen Biology and Biosecurity, and Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry of Education, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3336-6768

Funding

Guangdong Province Innovative R&D Team 2021ZT09Y544National Key Research and Development Program of China 2022YFC2601800National Natural Science Foundation of China 32322087,32300134National Natural Science Foundation of China 82072283,82341059,32000117National Natural Science Foundation of China/Research Grants Council Joint Research Scheme N_HKU767/22Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee C7002-23Y
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The epithelial cilia are the first line of defense against respiratory pathogens. For the first time, we found that Kallikrein-related peptidase 13 (KLK13), a serine protease expressed in airway ciliated epithelial cells with cell type specificity, was secreted into nasal mucus. KLK13 efficiently cleaved the spike of SARS-CoV-2, resulting in the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and spike protein-mediated cell-cell fusion. Recombinant KLK13 protease efficiently cleaved the spike protein as well as virus particles IMPORTANCE: Epithelial cilia directly come into contact with inhaled pathogens. The nasal mucus functions as a formidable barrier against penetration of viral particles. KLK13 is secreted into nasal mucus and efficiently cleaves the spike proteins across different coronavirus species. KLK13-mediated cleavage of spike inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry and syncytium formation. Intranasally delivered KLK13 also restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection

Indexed as

COVID-19KallikreinsMucusNasal MucosaSARS-CoV-2Spike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusA549 CellsAnimalsHeLa CellsHumansMiceProteolysisVirus InternalizationKallikreinsSpike Glycoprotein, Coronavirusspike protein, SARS-CoV-2coronavirusKLK13 proteasenasal mucusrestriction factorspike protein

Identifiers

PMID41114586
PMCPMC12607584

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.