New study suggests 2019-nCoV may hit men, Asian people harder
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June 30 07:23:05, 2025
In the ongoing 2019-nCoV outbreak across China, a noticeable trend has emerged: more men than women have died from the virus. A recent study, while preliminary, offers some potential clues as to why this might be happening. The research, based on a single-cell RNA-seq dataset, suggests that men and Asian individuals may express higher levels of ACE2, the protein that the virus uses to enter human cells, particularly in the alveolar epithelial cells of the lungs.
This finding could explain the observed differences in disease severity between genders and ethnicities. However, the study is limited by its small sample size—only two men and one Asian man were analyzed—so the results are not yet conclusive. That said, the hypothesis is compelling and aligns with patterns seen in previous viral outbreaks like SARS and influenza, where men also tended to suffer more severe outcomes.
Single-cell RNA sequencing allows scientists to examine gene expression at the individual cell level, revealing which genes are active under different conditions. In this case, the researchers focused on ACE2, an enzyme involved in blood pressure regulation and a key entry point for several coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2.
The study analyzed lung tissue samples from eight donors, identifying that ACE2 was primarily expressed in a rare type of lung cell called AT2 cells. Among the participants, men showed higher ACE2 expression compared to women, and the only Asian male in the group had significantly higher levels than all others. While these observations are intriguing, they come with major limitations due to the small number of participants.
Further research would require more data, but collecting lung tissue samples is both difficult and costly. Alternative methods, such as fluorescent imaging or genetic studies, could help validate these findings. If confirmed, this line of research could open new avenues for treatment, though it's unclear whether targeting ACE2 would be effective against the virus.
Interestingly, similar gender disparities have been observed in other respiratory diseases, such as the 1918 flu and SARS, suggesting that ACE2 might play a broader role in viral susceptibility. However, more work is needed to understand the full implications of these findings. For now, the study remains an important, if incomplete, piece of the puzzle.