Targeting PTP4A3 with KVX-053 mitigates alcohol-amplified SARS-CoV-2 spike protein–induced acute lung injury

IntroductionChronic alcohol exposure is associated with increased vulnerability to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and emerging evidence suggests that this susceptibility extends to the severe respiratory manifestations of COVID- 19. The SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein S1 subunit (S1SP) can independently trigger robust inflammatory and vascular injury responses in the lung, and our prior work demonstrated that chronic alcohol consumption markedly intensifies these effects in mice. PTP4A3 ph