Mutations help coronavirus infect the brain.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, can cause neurological complications such as “long COVID,” “brain fog,” and loss of taste and smell. It is still unknown what causes them.

A group of American scientists, during experiments on mice, discovered a mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (the outer part of the virus that helps it penetrate cells), which plays a key role in the ability to infect the central nervous system, EurekAlert reports.

By analyzing the genomes of the viruses found in the brain and comparing them with the lungs, we found that the viruses with a specific mutation in the spike were much better at infecting the brains of these animals, the researchers note. This was completely unexpected.

In this study, the scientists infected mice with SARS-CoV-2 and subsequently examined the genomes of the viruses that replicated in the brain and lungs:

• In the lungs, the spike protein looked very similar to the original virus used to infect mice;
• However, in the brain, most viruses had a mutation in a critical region of the spike that determines how it enters the cell;
• When viruses with this mutation were used to directly infect the brains of mice, they also caused infection in the lungs, but the mutated virus had to undergo significant “repair” to infect the lungs.

For the virus to travel from the lungs to the brain, it required changes in the spike protein, which is known to dictate how the virus enters different types of cells, the researchers note.

We believe that this spike region is a critical regulator of whether the virus enters the brain, and this could have significant implications for the treatment and management of neurological symptoms reported by COVID-19 patients, the scientists add.

Scientists note that it is still unknown whether neurological symptoms such as “long COVID” are caused by direct infection of brain cells, or by some adverse immune response that persists after infection.

If it is caused by infection of cells in the central nervous system, then our study suggests that there may be specific treatments that may work better than others in clearing the virus in this case, the researchers conclude.

Source: EurekAlert

Source: Racurs

David

I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.