Inflamed from Within: How COVID-19 Ignites Heart Damage
Here is a version non-medical language terms.
Scientists recently uncovered something unsettling in a study of 54 heart tissue samples. The virus behind COVID-19 can creep into heart cells too, stirring up a storm of inflammation. These heart cells, called *cardiomyocytes*, are meant to keep our hearts beating strong, but this virus has found a way in, using the *TNF-NF-κB* pathway—a process that, when pushed too far, spells trouble.
Once inside, the virus seems to change the very way these heart cells function, flipping genetic switches that can lead to chaos. One gene, called *CXCL2*, kicks into high gear, summoning immune cells to the heart like soldiers to a battlefield. But sometimes, too many soldiers can cause more damage than they fix.
The protein at the center of this, *NF-κB*, is like the conductor of this chaotic orchestra, fueling inflammation that, if left unchecked, can weaken the heart. It’s as if the body, in trying to defend itself, starts tearing at its own foundation.
This study adds to a growing concern—COVID-19 is leaving its mark on the heart, and some of that damage may linger long after the virus has left. Scientists are sounding the alarm, and they’re urging us to take this more seriously than ever before.
Here is a version non-medical language terms.
Scientists recently uncovered something unsettling in a study of 54 heart tissue samples. The virus behind COVID-19 can creep into heart cells too, stirring up a storm of inflammation. These heart cells, called *cardiomyocytes*, are meant to keep our hearts beating strong, but this virus has found a way in, using the *TNF-NF-κB* pathway—a process that, when pushed too far, spells trouble.
Once inside, the virus seems to change the very way these heart cells function, flipping genetic switches that can lead to chaos. One gene, called *CXCL2*, kicks into high gear, summoning immune cells to the heart like soldiers to a battlefield. But sometimes, too many soldiers can cause more damage than they fix.
The protein at the center of this, *NF-κB*, is like the conductor of this chaotic orchestra, fueling inflammation that, if left unchecked, can weaken the heart. It’s as if the body, in trying to defend itself, starts tearing at its own foundation.
This study adds to a growing concern—COVID-19 is leaving its mark on the heart, and some of that damage may linger long after the virus has left. Scientists are sounding the alarm, and they’re urging us to take this more seriously than ever before.
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