The Lysosomal Storage Diseases: A Promising Axis for COVID-19 Future Therapies

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV- 2) is the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic; it has been officially named) by the WHO in March 2020 [1]. The current coronavirus pandemic is characterized by high contagion and infection rates and higher mortality among patients with some underlying medical conditions, including those with diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases… Caring for high-risk populations is an essential part of managing any communicable disease threat. Patients with inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) are known to be disproportionately affected by respiratory diseases and recurrent infections often resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. IMD, like lysosomal storage diseases (LSD), were included in the group of conditions considered to have an extremely high risk of severe COVID-19 illness [2]. Respiratory symptoms are frequent in patients with LSD with pathomechanisms such as infiltration of pulmonary structures by abnormal cells in Niemann-Pick (NPD) and Gaucher diseases (GD), airway soft tissue infiltration, accompanied by limited chest mobility in mucchopolysaccharidoses diseases (MPSs), dyspnea and wheezing, with a compromised respiratory function by cardiac involvement in Fabry disease (FD) [3]. The hepatosplenomegaly and spinal deformity reduce lung volume in this diseases, it is obvious that a COVID-19 infection will be fa tal for these patients by accelerating respiratory decline. However, few works had addressed this point and few recommendations and practical considerations have been issued by practitioners and experts involved with for the management of this health crisis.