The proximity ligation assay (PLA) detects close interactions between two protein targets, so using PLA with antibodies targeting the NLS region of ACE2 and IMPα in H1299 non-small cell lung carcinoma cells treated with either control or increasing concentrations of NACE2i, NACE2i significantly inhibited ACE2-IMPα interactions in a dose-dependent manner (Supplementary Fig. 1b). This evidence concerns the gene ACE2 and non-small cell lung carcinoma.