Credit: ©2022 JIHOON SHIN., SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IMPAIRS THE INSULIN/IGF SIGNALING PATHWAY IN THE LUNG, LIVER, ADIPOSE TISSUE, AND PANCREATIC CELLS VIA IRF1, METABOLISM
THE INSULIN/IGF SIGNALING PATHWAY PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MANY BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES, SUCH AS ENERGY METABOLISM AND CELL SURVIVAL. SARS-COV-2 INFECTION IMPAIRS TRANSCRIPTIONAL EXPRESSION OF THE INSULIN/IGF SIGNALING PATHWAY IN THE HOST LUNG, LIVER ADIPOSE TISSUE, AND PANCREATIC CELLS, WHICH IS LIKELY ATTRIBUTED TO INTERFERON REGULATORY FACTOR 1 (IRF1). THE PATHOLOGICAL TRAIT IS AGGRAVATED IN WHOLE BLOOD, A SYSTEMIC INDICATOR, OF CRITICAL PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 WITH EXACERBATED CELL DAMAGE, CELL DEATH, AND METABOLIC ABNORMALITIES, WHICH COULD BE AMELIORATED BY ANDROGEN (DHT) AND/OR GLUCOCORTICOID (DEX) INTERVENTIONS. HIGHER BASAL IRF1 EXPRESSION BY PATHOLOGICAL (OLDER AGE, MALE SEX, OBESITY, AND DIABETES) REASONS IN RESPIRATORY, METABOLIC, AND/OR ENDOCRINE ORGANS MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO SYNERGISTIC UPREGULATION OF IRF1 IN RESPONSE TO SARS-COV-2 INFECTION, WHICH MAY MAKE THE PEOPLE MORE VULNERABLE TO COVID-19