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Researchers from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) confirmed that the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is capable of infecting human neurons. The researchers will now investigate how the infection alters the functioning of these nerve cells. The project is supported by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp).
The finding was produced through in vitro experiments, that is, in cell culture, using the real-time PCR technique, the same used in the diagnosis of covid-19 in reference laboratories. According to the research coordinator, Daniel Martins-de-Souza, research coordinator, based on this first result, the group will compare proteins and metabolites of cell cultures before and after infection with the new coronavirus. In this way, it will be possible to observe how the pattern of the molecules changes and then try to explain how the virus acts in the central nervous system.
“The first part of the work was to see if the virus can enter these cells. The answer is yes, viruses enter neurons. What we are going to do now is use the analytical chemistry tools we have and, with a technique called mass spectrometry, we can monitor molecules in cells, such as proteins, metabolites, and lipids, for example, which are the fat molecules. ” Martins-de-Souza explained.
According to the research coordinator, in the short term, the prognosis is that, with the study, it will be understood what the virus does when it is inside a neuron. “This is the second and most important step in our work because that is where we will be able to understand and even answer what is the problem of the virus that enters the cell.”
The researcher points out that it is too early for clinical conclusions, but says that the infection of neurons by the virus brings the possibility of more risks for patients. “We began to observe in the literature the appearance of neurological symptoms in patients. But even before that, one of the first symptoms that appear in people affected by the coronavirus is loss of smell, anosmia, which is somewhat mediated by the nervous system, “he said.
“The fact that there is anosmia, patients have neurological symptoms, and they already have some studies showing some post-mortem lesions observed in the brain of covid-19 patients, may suggest that if the virus reaches the brain, it can be harmful to the brain. patient, but it is still too early to affirm all this, “he explained. Martins-de-Souza reinforced that this is a hypothesis that researchers must prove.
