Diseases such as acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by pneumonia, sepsis, and viral infections such as influenza and SARS CoV2 (COVID-19) also induce endothelial barrier breakdown secondary to disruption or loss of VE-cadherin expression at AJs3–7,21,22. This evidence concerns the gene CDH5 and acute respiratory distress syndrome.