In this review, we discuss the role of pulmonary surfactant in the host defense against respiratory pathogens, including novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In the lower respiratory system, the virus uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor in conjunction with serine protease TMPRSS2, expressed by alveolar type II (ATII) cells as one of the SARS-CoV-2 target cells, to enter. ATII cells are the main source of surfactant. After their infection and the resulting damage, the consequences may be severe and may include injury to the alveolar-capillary barrier, lung edema, inflammation, ineffective gas exchange, impaired lung mechanics and reduced oxygenation, which resembles acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of other etiology. The aim of this review is to highlight the key role of ATII cells and reduced surfactant in the pathogenesis of the respiratory form of COVID-19 and to emphasize the rational basis for exogenous surfactant therapy in COVID-19 ARDS patients.

• MeSH
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 metabolism   MeSH
• COVID-19 immunology   metabolism   virology   MeSH
• COVID-19 Drug Treatment MeSH
• Host-Pathogen Interactions MeSH
• Virus Internalization MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Lung drug effects   immunology   metabolism   virology   MeSH
• Pulmonary Surfactants therapeutic use   MeSH
• Alveolar Epithelial Cells drug effects   immunology   metabolism   virology   MeSH
• Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins metabolism   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 immunology   pathogenicity   MeSH
• Serine Endopeptidases metabolism   MeSH
• Receptors, Virus metabolism   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Names of Substances
• ACE2 protein, human MeSH Browser
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 MeSH
• Pulmonary Surfactants MeSH
• Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Proteins MeSH
• Serine Endopeptidases MeSH
• TMPRSS2 protein, human MeSH Browser
• Receptors, Virus MeSH

Human health is the main role of medical research. Scientists were always intrigued by disease prevention, their diagnostics and proper treatment. In fact, research in medicine is always directed towards the improvement of the health care and improvement of the quality of life of the target population. Nowadays, physiological research, which is the base stone for clinical research, progresses fast forward, providing new information about body functions in health and diseases. This obvious progress is associated with modern methods, such as neuronal tracing, patch-clamp methods, electrophysiology, molecular biology and many more, which supported by comprehensive information technology guarantees high quality and complex data. Our younger colleagues, young scientists, post-docs or PhD students are well-trained and qualified in utilizing these new methods.

• MeSH
• Faculty, Medical history   MeSH
• Biomedical Research history   MeSH
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Internationality MeSH
• Physicians history   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Respiratory Mechanics physiology   MeSH
• Respiration Disorders history   physiopathology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• History, 20th Century MeSH
• History, 21st Century MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Biography MeSH
• Historical Article MeSH
• Editorial MeSH
• Geographicals
• Slovakia MeSH

• About
• Korpas, Juraj