“A Silent Killer” – COVID-19 Shown To Trigger Inflammation in the Brain Without Outward Symptoms for Years - SciTechDaily

Research led by The University of Queensland (UQ) successful Australia has recovered COVID-19 activates the aforesaid inflammatory effect successful the encephalon arsenic Parkinson’s disease.

The find not lone identified a imaginable aboriginal hazard for neurodegenerative conditions successful radical who person had COVID-19, but suggested besides a imaginable treatment.

The UQ squad was led by Professor Trent Woodruff and Dr. Eduardo Albornoz Balmaceda from UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences, and virologists from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences.

“We studied the effect of the microorganism connected the brain’s immune cells, ‘microglia’ which are the cardinal cells progressive successful the progression of encephalon diseases similar Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s,” Professor Woodruff said.

“Our squad grew quality microglia successful the laboratory and infected the cells with SARS-CoV-2, the microorganism that causes COVID-19.

“We recovered the cells efficaciously became ‘angry’, activating the aforesaid pathway that Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s proteins tin activate successful disease, the inflammasomes.”

Dr. Albornoz Balmaceda said triggering the inflammasome pathway sparked a ‘fire’ successful the brain, which begins a chronic and sustained process of sidesplitting disconnected neurons.

“It’s benignant of a soundless killer, due to the fact that you don’t spot immoderate outward symptoms for galore years,” Dr. Albornoz Balmaceda said.

“It whitethorn explicate wherefore immoderate radical who’ve had COVID-19 are much susceptible to processing neurological symptoms akin to Parkinson’s disease.”

The researchers recovered the spike macromolecule of the microorganism was capable to commencement the process and was further exacerbated erstwhile determination were already proteins successful the encephalon linked to Parkinson’s.

“So if idiosyncratic is already pre-disposed to Parkinson’s, having COVID-19 could beryllium similar pouring much substance connected that ‘fire’ successful the brain,” Professor Woodruff said.

“The aforesaid would use for a predisposition for Alzheimer’s and different dementias that person been linked to inflammasomes.”

But the survey besides recovered a imaginable treatment.

The researchers administered a people of UQ-developed inhibitory drugs that are presently successful objective trials with Parkinson’s patients.

“We recovered it successfully blocked the inflammatory pathway activated by COVID-19, fundamentally putting retired the fire,” Dr. Albornoz Balmaceda said.

“The cause reduced inflammation successful some COVID-19-infected mice and the microglia cells from humans, suggesting a imaginable attraction attack to forestall neurodegeneration successful the future.”

Professor Woodruff said portion the similarity betwixt however COVID-19 and dementia diseases impact the encephalon was concerning, it besides meant a imaginable attraction was already successful existence.

“Further probe is needed, but this is perchance a caller attack to treating a microorganism that could different person untold semipermanent wellness ramifications.”  

The probe was co-led by Dr. Alberto Amarilla Ortiz and Associate Professor Daniel Watterson and progressive 33 co-authors crossed UQ and internationally.

The survey was published connected November 1 successful Nature’s Molecular Psychiatry.

Reference: “SARS-CoV-2 drives NLRP3 inflammasome activation successful quality microglia done spike protein” by Eduardo A. Albornoz, Alberto A. Amarilla, Naphak Modhiran, Sandra Parker, Xaria X. Li, Danushka K. Wijesundara, Julio Aguado, Adriana Pliego Zamora, Christopher L. D. McMillan, Benjamin Liang, Nias Y. G. Peng, Julian D. J. Sng, Fatema Tuj Saima, Jenny N. Fung, John D. Lee, Devina Paramitha, Rhys Parry, Michael S. Avumegah, Ariel Isaacs, Martin W. Lo, Zaray Miranda-Chacon, Daniella Bradshaw, Constanza Salinas-Rebolledo, Niwanthi W. Rajapakse, Ernst J. Wolvetang, Trent P. Munro, Alejandro Rojas-Fernandez, Paul R. Young, Katryn J. Stacey, Alexander A. Khromykh, Keith J. Chappell, Daniel Watterson and Trent M. Woodruff, 1 November 2022, Molecular Psychiatry.
DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01831-0