ACE2 Function: Renin-Angiotensin System The attachment and entry of coronaviruses is dependent on spike protein-receptor specificity. Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2)—a transmembrane protein found on the plasma membrane of cells in lungs, vascular endothelium, kidneys, etc—is the receptor for SARS-COV2. ACE2 is a key component of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS) that regulates blood pressure, fluid…
Category: Microbiology
Syphilis, Research Ethics and the Tuskegee Study
The Tuskegee Study and Ethical Violations The Tuskegee study of untreated syphilis in the African-American male is deemed to be the longest recorded non-therapeutic experiment on humans in medical history. The study began in 1932, initiated by the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), and was concluded in 1972 only after ethical violations surrounding the…