SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein-Induced Cell Fusion Activates the cGAS-STING Pathway and the Interferon Response

The authors found that cell fusion caused by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induced a type I interferon response and that that cell fusion damaged nuclei and resulted in the formation of micronuclei that were sensed by the cytosolic DNA sensor cGAS and led to the activation of its downstream effector STING.