New research has found that some viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, can cause brain cells to fuse and malfunction, which may explain the 'brain fog' some people experience after contracting COVID-19. It is well-known that some viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, involve the brain and nervous system by infecting nerve cells (neurons). The mechanism by which they do this is understood in non-brain cells: the viruses use specialised molecules called fusogenic to fuse with and enter cells. Researchers at Macquarie University, Sydney, the University of Queensland and the University of Helsinki, Finland, have collaborated to examine fusogenic's effect on the brain. The research relied on brain organoids, artificially grown mini-brains that simulate the real thing.
Some organoids were infected with viral fusogenic, including SARS-CoV-2, compared with non-infected control organoids. The findings may explain the 'brain fog' some people experience after contracting COVID-19. The researchers found that the virus caused fusion between neurons, between neurons and glia, and between glia. This fusion without cell death could explain the chronic neurological symptoms some people have after infection with COVID-19, such as headache, 'brain fog', loss of taste and smell, and exhaustion. The spike S protein, or S protein, is one of the critical biological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2. It is located outside the virus, allowing it to penetrate host cells and cause infection.
This fusion without cell death could explain the chronic neurological symptoms some people have after infection with COVID-19, such as headache, 'brain fog', loss of taste and smell, and exhaustion. The research reveals a new mechanism for the neurological events that follow a viral infection which provides a greater understanding of the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and perhaps other neurological conditions. Lars Ittner, one of the study’s co-authors, said that this research could help us understand some of the mechanisms of this viral behaviour.
Article originally published by science.org under Science Advances Journals
