{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,2]],"date-time":"2025-11-02T02:59:44Z","timestamp":1762052384032,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,24]],"date-time":"2022-05-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1653350400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)","award":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"]}]},{"name":"FEDER\u2013Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds","award":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"]}]},{"name":"Portuguese funds","award":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"]}]},{"name":"i3S Scientific Platform HEMS","award":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["510 FCT","POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274","PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>SARS-CoV-2 pandemics have been massively characterized on a global scale by the rapid generation of in-depth genomic information. The main entry gate of SARS-CoV-2 in human cells is the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The expression of this protein has been reported in several human tissues, suggesting a correlation between SARS-CoV-2 organotropism and ACE2 distribution. In this study, we selected (a series of) 90 patients who were submitted to surgery for tumor removal between the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the closure of operating rooms (by the end of March 2020) in two different countries\u2014Portugal and Brazil. We evaluated the expressions of ACE2 and furin (another important factor for virus internalization) in colon (n = 60), gastric (n = 19), and thyroid (n = 11) carcinomas. In a subseries of cases with PCR results for SARS-CoV-2 detection in the peri-operatory window (n = 18), we performed different methodological approaches for viral detections in patient tumor samples. Our results show that colon and gastric carcinomas display favorable microenvironments to SARS-CoV-2 tropism, presenting high expression levels of ACE2 and furin. From the subseries of 18 cases, 11 tested positive via PCR detection performed in tumor blocks; however, a direct association between the ACE2 expression and SARS-CoV-2 infection was not demonstrated in cancer cells using histology-based techniques, such as immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization. This study raises the possibility of ACE2-mediated viral tropism in cancer tissues to be clarified in future studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers14112582","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,24]],"date-time":"2022-05-24T22:04:06Z","timestamp":1653429846000},"page":"2582","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Searching for SARS-CoV-2 in Cancer Tissues: Results of an Extensive Methodologic Approach based on ACE2 and Furin Expression"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4091-2226","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Ricardo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S-Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"TOXRUN\u2013Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal"},{"name":"Medical Faculty, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Can\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar e Universit\u00e1rio de S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Diana","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Centro Hospitalar e Universit\u00e1rio de S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3988-3280","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana C.","family":"Magalh\u00e3es","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S-Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"ICBAS\u2013Instituto de Ci\u00eancias Biom\u00e9dicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6865-0988","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto do C\u00e2ncer, Hospital de Cl\u00ednicas (HCFMUSP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 01246000, Brazil"}]},{"given":"Ulysses","family":"Ribeiro-Junior","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto do C\u00e2ncer, Hospital de Cl\u00ednicas (HCFMUSP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 01246000, Brazil"}]},{"given":"Evandro Sobroza","family":"de Mello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto do C\u00e2ncer, Hospital de Cl\u00ednicas (HCFMUSP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 01246000, Brazil"}]},{"given":"Ven\u00e2ncio A.","family":"Alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto do C\u00e2ncer, Hospital de Cl\u00ednicas (HCFMUSP), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 01246000, Brazil"}]},{"given":"Regina","family":"Pinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ipatimup\u2013Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Dina","family":"Leit\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Faculty, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3487-6321","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgina","family":"Alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S Diagnostics\u2013Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4006-5103","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rute","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S Diagnostics\u2013Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3728-1833","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joana","family":"Wilton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S Diagnostics\u2013Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Susete","family":"Costelha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S Diagnostics\u2013Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4618-9112","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diana","family":"Meireles","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S Diagnostics\u2013Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4001-1332","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Didier","family":"Cabanes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S Diagnostics\u2013Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4207-9258","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonor","family":"David","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S-Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Universidade do Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Medical Faculty, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Ipatimup\u2013Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1006-6946","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando","family":"Schmitt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Faculty, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Ipatimup\u2013Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CINTESIS@RISE, Alameda Professor Hern\u00e2ni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,5,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"761521","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2021.761521","article-title":"Insights Into the Changing Landscape of Coronavirus Disease 2019","volume":"11","author":"Escobedo","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. 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