The C-end Rule peptides, codiscovered by Prof. Tambet Teesalu, have emerged as important targeting and cellular entry elements for many viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Our group participated in a collaborative study that demonstrated that  adipose tissue is a frequent extrapulmonary site where SARS-CoV-2 can be found in COVID-19 patients and provided evidence that visceral fat cells are more susceptible than subcutaneous fat cells to SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. This study provides a mechanistic framework to help explain the exacerbated metabolic and inflammatory symptoms manifested by COVID-19 patients.

"SARS-CoV-2 infects adipose tissue in a fat depot- and viral lineage-dependent manner", Nat Commun. 2022; 13: 5722, published online 2022 Sep 29. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-33218-8, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9521555/