Moreover, circulating microvesicles containing the tissue factor (TF) have been shown to originate from cholesterol-rich lipid rafts derived from the monocyte/macrophage lineage.
These vesicles are prothrombotic and form binding sites for coagulation complexes. Lipid rafts can indeed promote platelet activation through the release of extracellular vesicles that contain phosphatidylserine.
Additionally, lipid rafts play an important role in the control of coagulation, which is a crucial aspect of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rafts harbor important molecules involved in the immune response, including Toll-like receptors (TLR), T- and B-cell receptors (TCR and BCR) and fragment crystallizable receptors (FcR). On the other hand, lipid rafts contribute to the formation of immune synapses and their proper function is a prerequisite for adequate immune response and viral clearance. Enveloped viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can exploit rafts to enter target cells or to reassemble virion components before budding. Lipid rafts appear to be critically involved in several steps of viral infections.
Rafts are highly dynamic and their proteolipid composition is influenced by the external concentration of lipids, especially cholesterol. These nanoscopic structures reside within cell membranes and are involved in a variety of physiological processes, including endocytosis and signal transduction. Lipid rafts represent a fascinating chapter in cell biology. The combination of drugs acting on lipid rafts may be successful in the treatment of more severe forms of the disease and should be reserved for further investigation. Furthermore, the additional use of lipid-lowering agents, like statins, may affect the lipid composition of membrane rafts and thus influence the processes occurring in these compartments. A lipid raft-mediated mechanism can be hypothesized for many drugs recommended or considered for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as glucocorticoids, antimalarials, immunosuppressants and antiviral agents. In this narrative review we dissect the panorama focusing on this singular aspect of cell biology in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection and therapy. On the other hand, lipid rafts contribute to the formation of immune synapses and their proper functioning is a prerequisite for adequate immune response and viral clearance. They play a crucial role in viral infections, as enveloped viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can exploit rafts to enter or quit target cells. Lipid rafts are nanoscopic compartments of cell membranes that serve a variety of biological functions.
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