Study Reveals COVID-19 Virus Infects Human Intestinal Cells

The new coronavirus can infect and replicate in cells that line the inside of the human intestine, according to a study that may explain why some COVID-19 patients experience gastrointestinal symptoms. The finding, published in the journal Science, shows that the intestines are a target organ for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Studies have shown that the virus enters epithelial cells in the lungs by exploiting an enzyme called ACE2, allowing it to replicate and spread further, according to researchers, including those at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands.

The resulting damage results in some of the respiratory symptoms known to be COVID-19, which can range from coughing and shortness of breath to pneumonia in more severe cases, they said.

The researchers noted that preliminary observations suggest that the virus can also infect cells in the intestine. Patients sometimes show gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, and researchers know that intestinal epithelial cells also harbor ACE2, they said.

The team generated three-dimensional (3D) structures showing all types of human small intestine epithelial cells and cultured them in four different culture conditions.

Human small intestine organoids grown under different conditions expressed varying amounts of ACE2 and could become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the researchers said.

Using electron microscopy, they discovered that the virus infected mature and progenitor enterocytes, which are intestinal-absorbing epithelial cells that line the inner surface of the intestines.

The researchers also found that the virus triggered the activity of genes involved with antiviral responses.

Infection rates were similar across all organoid models, indicating that even small amounts of ACE2 may be enough for the virus to infect epithelial cells, they said.

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