Thread by @hkumed

An @hkumed study found that #SARSCoV2 can multiply rapidly in lab-grown bat intestinal cells, suggesting these cells could be used to study SARS-CoV-2 infection and bat viruses;

It also studied how the virus infect human intestinal cells and spread via the gut.

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Key takeaways:

🦇 Intestinal cells from both bats & humans were easily infected by #SARSCoV2
🦇 Enterocytes (intestinal cells involved in digestion) were the virus's main target

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Key takeaways (cont'd):

🦇 Infected intestinal cells developed cytopathic effect (structural changes due to viral infection) and broke over time, releasing large quantities of virus;
🦇 Cytopathic effect developed sooner in humans than in bats

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Horseshoe bats are known natural carriers of SARS-related coronavirus (SARSr-CoV); #SARSCoV2 is suspected to come from bats since its genetic material is highly similar to SARSr-CoV.

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For more - Infection of bat and human intestinal organoids by #SARSCoV2

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nature.com/articles/s4159…