COVID-19 and the heart: Searching for the location of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor

Nearly 20% of all COVID-19-associated deaths are from cardiac complications, yet the mechanisms from which these complications arise have remained a topic of debate in the cardiology community. One hypothesis centers on the infection of the heart itself, but the understanding of which cells may be infected is unclear. To address this, MMRI Assistant Professor Dr. Nathan Tucker, in collaboration with the Broad Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, and Bayer US, report the distribution of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor in a manuscript titled, "Myocyte upregulation of ACE2 in cardiovascular disease" published in the journal, Circulation.