The study demonstrates how the SARS-CoV-2 virus can directly damage cells in the brain. An internationalgroup of scientists found vascular cells that comprise the blood-brain barrier can be destroyed by the virus and this may lead to neurological symptoms, both short and long-term, commonly reported from Covid 19. The study was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
As researchers strive to comprehend the entire impact of this new coronavirus on the human body, the consequences of SARS-CoV-2 on the brain are still emerging. Long-term Covid 19 symptoms are associated with cognitive issues such as brain fog, and brain tissue investigations from deceased patients have revealed molecular markers of inflammation, indicating that the virus can harm the brain.It’s still unknown whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus penetrates the brain and causes harm directly, or if neurological symptoms are caused by systemic immune responses to the infection, which produce neuroinflammation.
Although robust research headed by Yale University neuroscientists earlier this year established how the virus may directly infect brain cells, there are still questions about whether this happens in real-world infections. It’s impossible to tell if the virus is infecting cells in the brain without analysing brain tissue from deceased Covid 19 patients.
This new study focuses on cerebral vascular endothelial cells, which are a kind of brain cell. These cells are an important part of the blood-brain barrier, which acts as a barrier to block foreign or dangerous substances from entering the brain. To examine the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on these endothelial cells, researchers looked at brain tissue from Covid 19 patients who died. According to Jan Wenzel, a project neuroscientist,patients had a higher number of dead cells than a well-matched control group.
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