PTPN2 and arthritic joint disease: ,51 In contrast, our finding of increased ACE2 expression, along with increased viral particle/live virus uptake in PTPN2 variant cells, might not only indicate a potentially novel genetic marker for more severe disease, but also identifies tofacitinib—a drug already approved for treatment of arthritis and IBD—and potentially other JAK inhibitors, such as baricitinib, as a potential therapeutic strategy to specifically mitigate this risk.