Noun
TMPRSS2 (uncountable)
(biochemistry, virology) Transmembrane protease, serine 2, an enzyme of unknown function that is exploited by coronaviruses in infecting humans.
The researchers found that in both mice and humans, olfactory sensory neurons do not express two key genes (ACE2 and TMPRSS2) that allow SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19) to infect cells. Source: Internet
They said another cellular protein called TMPRSS2 chops up the spike, enabling the virus to fuse into the cell membrane and "break into" the cell. Source: Internet