SARS-CoV-2 virus infects neurons and damages brain tissue

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine recently discovered how the SARS-CoV-2 virus can directly infect the central nervous system. The findings have also started to help better understand how the virus affects brain cells, potentially contributing to the development of treatments for different types of neurological symptoms associated with 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Posted in Journal of Experimental Medicine, the study was undertaken to try to answer the remaining questions, such as whether the virus can infect neurons or other types of brain cells. The researchers used human brain organoids, which are miniature 3D organs grown in a lab from human stem cells, to analyze the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to invade cells.

“Understanding the full extent of the viral invasion is essential for treating patients, as we begin to try to understand the long-term consequences of COVID-19, many of which are expected to involve the central nervous system,” Akiko Iwasaki, professor at the Yale School of Medicine said.

The results demonstrated that the virus infected organoid neurons and used them as a medium for their own replication. The virus also appeared to replicate by stimulating the metabolism of infected cells, while surrounding uninfected neurons died due to reduced oxygen supply.

In addition, the researchers behind the study analyzed the brains of 3 patients who succumbed to COVID-19 and detected the virus in the cortical neurons of one of them. Infected regions of the brain were associated with ischemic infarctions, where a decrease in blood supply can cause localized tissue damage and cell death.

“Our study clearly demonstrates that neurons can become a target for SARS-CoV-2 infection, with devastating consequences of localized ischemia in the brain and cell death,” said Kaya Bilguvar, co-author principal of the study. “Our results suggest that the neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19 may be related to these consequences and may help guide rational approaches to the treatment of patients with COVID-19 with neural disorders.”