Professor Park Ki-chul of Samsung Changwon Hospital Otolaryngology Department Selected for International Journal Cover Paper

Professor Ki-Chul Park, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Thyroid Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Song Jong-gu] The research team led by Professor Park Ki-cheol of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Thyroid Head and Neck Surgery at Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Changwon Hospital has been selected for the cover paper of the November issue of the SCIE international journal Oral Diseases.

The cover paper, titled "ACE2 and TMPRSS2 immunolocalization and oral manifestations of COVID-19," revealed the pathway by which SARS-CoV-2 (hereafter referred to as the virus), which causes COVID-19, induces various oral symptoms including taste impairment.

The COVID-19 virus is known to infect through ACE2 and TMPRSS2 receptors present in the mucosal cells of the respiratory tract such as the nose, mouth, and lungs.

In particular, taste loss is more commonly observed in COVID-19 patients compared to patients with other upper respiratory infections like influenza, but it is still unknown whether these symptoms are caused by direct viral infection or are secondary reactions due to systemic immune responses.

Accordingly, Professor Park’s research team conducted a study using ACE2 and TMPRSS2 to identify the cause of taste abnormalities and confirmed that the COVID-19 virus directly invades taste cells causing taste loss. They also revealed that the virus invades nerves around the oral cavity and damages microvessels, which can lead to various symptoms such as dry mouth and ulcers.

This research was conducted as part of a basic science research project supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, with collaboration from Professor Lee Hyun-wook of the Department of Pathology at Samsung Changwon Hospital, Professor Jo Eun-sol of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Pusan National University.

Meanwhile, the cover paper designation means that the illustration explaining the research content was selected for the journal cover, indicating it is an outstanding research result receiving significant attention. Oral Diseases, with a citation index of 4.068, is recognized as an authoritative journal in the fields of otorhinolaryngology and oral and maxillofacial surgery.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.