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In addition to the respiratory problems caused by COVID-19, doctors and researchers have already identified a series of symptoms in patients infected with the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), such as loss of smell and taste, mental confusion, accident cerebrovascular and even muscle pain. Now, scientists from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) are warning about the ability of this virus to infect human neurons.
The hypothesis was confirmed by real-time PCR examination, which is the same method used in the diagnosis of COVID-19 in laboratories and hospitals. To perform tests outside the laboratory, health professionals collect the respiratory secretion of the suspected patient and perform direct detection of the virus.
Through experiments carried out with cell culture in the laboratory, the group of Brazilian researchers, coordinated by the professor of the Institute of Biology Daniel Martins de Souza, continues to investigate how infection and increased viral load in nerve cells can affect the operation of this system.
According to the first steps of the study, neurons are already known to express the protein ACE-2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2), and it is through this molecule that the coronavirus connects to invade human cells.
Research steps
In the coming days, scientists from Unicamp will investigate how the functioning of these nerve cells is altered by infection with the new coronavirus. “We are going to compare proteins and other metabolites present in cell cultures before and after infection. The idea is to observe how the pattern of the molecules changes and, based on this information, try to tell the story of how the virus acts in the central nervous system ”, explains Martins de Souza to Agência FAPESP.
In the experiment, already carried out by postdoctoral fellow Fernanda Crunfli to confirm infection in neurons, the contamination was induced in a cell line in the human brain, in addition to human neurons obtained from stem cells.
“We are also starting tests with human astrocytes [células do sistema nervoso que sustentam e nutrem os neurônios] and, soon, we will know if the virus infects these cells, which support the functioning of neurons and are the most abundant in the central nervous system ”, explains the professor.
Effects on the brain.
According to Daniel Martins de Souza, other studies have already suggested that this coronavirus would have a certain propensity to infect nerve cells. “But we don’t know yet if the virus can actually cross the blood-brain barrier [estrutura que protege o cérebro de substâncias tóxicas e patógenos presentes na circulação sanguínea] and, if so, what kind of impact can it have on the nervous tissue. We will try to find clues that help clarify these doubts, ”he argues.
“In addition to investigating whether the amount of a given protein in the sample increases or decreases after infection, we also intend to assess what the level of phosphorylation and glycosylation of the molecules is like. The cell uses these two biochemical mechanisms to quickly activate or deactivate the function performed by proteins. This will give us clues about the metabolic pathways that are altered in neurons in response to the new coronavirus, “concludes the Unicamp researcher.
The investigation in question is carried out as part of a project approved by FAPESP in the so-called “Supplements for rapid implementation against COVID-19”. To combat the epidemic in Brazil, the study is part of a working group created by Unicamp.
Source: Agência Fapesp
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