2/ It’s not surprising that #COVID-19 can infect neurons given the nasal cavity is connected to the #CNS via the cribriform plate, olfactory epithelium + #nerve. This led the team to state that “the brain should be considered a high-risk organ system upon #respiratory exposure”
3/ The team also showed that, at least in some #COVID-19 patients w/ #neurological symptoms, there is a robust antibody response to the #virus in the #cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In fact, CSF-containing antiviral #antibodies blocked COVID-19 infection in brain organoids
4/ I love this study, b/c to better understand #neurological symptoms in COVID-19 they did not just characterize symptoms/cytokines 😉. They studied the #virus itself!!...and characterized WHAT IT CAN DO to drive #metabolic + signaling changes in infected + neighboring cells! 👏
5/ Now, @VirusesImmunity - could you perform this same set of experiments on HSV-1, HHV6/7, adenoviruses, enteroviruses (polioviruses + cozsackie), mumps, measles, varicella, EBV, CMV, influenza, zika, rubella...plus some bacterial pathogens like Borrelia, p.givgivalis etc 🙏
6/ Some of the pathogens above are being implicated in #Alzheimer’s, #Parkinson’s, #ME/CFS etc in a persistent state - and your organoid model cld better characterize their specific #neurotrophic potential + possible impact on altered cerebral #metabolism in such disease states
