Fig. 4
From: The intersection of COVID-19 and cancer: signaling pathways and treatment implications
Androgen receptor (AR) signaling in prostate cancer and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The AR is activated in response to androgens and induces the transcription of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). The androgen-regulated TMPRSS2 gene may fuse with the erythroblast transformation-specific (ETS)-related gene (ERG), and this fusion is a molecular marker of prostate cancer initiation and progression. In severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, TMPRSS2 is the protease that mediates S protein priming, which is essential for the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and subsequent cell entry. Anti-androgen drugs and TMPRSS2 inhibitors used in patients with prostate cancer may serve as potential treatments for patients with COVID-19