CDH5 and acute respiratory distress syndrome: Acute lung injury (ALI) and its progression to fulminant acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) observed in critically ill patients with COVID-19 is characterized by the breakdown of the lung vascular endothelial barrier due to endothelial cell denudation and disruption of the endothelial adherens junction protein VE-cadherin, which together lead to severe lung edema and ultimately respiratory failure18,19.