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Scientists answer why young children are less prone to COVID-19

According to the study, receptor protein on the surfaces of certain lung cells spike after a particle containing coronavirus is inhaled into the lungs making the person more vulnerable.

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Scientists in their research have found out why COVID-19 mainly affects adults and older people while young children are less prone to the virus.

According to a US team of researchers, including those from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), lower levels of receptor protein in children protects them from the virus. The COVID-19 virus uses receptor protein as a medium to attack the epithelial cells in the lung said the research.

The Clinical Investigation journal published the findings of the research.

"Our study provides a biologic rationale for why particularly infants and very young children seem to be less likely to either get infected or to have severe disease symptoms," said Jennifer Sucre, a co-author of the study from VUMC.

According to the study, receptor protein on the surfaces of certain lung cells spike after a particle containing coronavirus is inhaled into the lungs making the person more vulnerable.

"Our research has always focused on understanding lung development and how infant's lungs differ from adult lungs in their vulnerability to injury," Sucre said.

"In this study, we actually took the opposite approach, and were able to see how the developing lung by its differences is protected from SARS-CoV-2 infection," she further added.

A single-cell RNA-sequencing technique was used by the researchers to detect the expression of genes in the lung of mice.

Bryce Schuler, another co-author of the study, said that the gene for ACE2 - a receptor protein on the surfaces of certain lung cells - was expressed at low levels. "TMPRSS2 stood out as having a really striking trajectory of increased expression during development," said Schuler.

"What we found is that expression of (TMPRSS2) goes up significantly with aging, and we see that at the level of the gene and at the level of the protein. We see a lot more TMPRSS2 in older individuals, in both humans and mice," Sucre added.

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