A newly created stem cell model demonstrates a potential route of entry of the COVID-19 virus, SARS_CoV_2, into the human brain.
Post-mortem studies of COVID-19 patients revealed significant signs of neuroinflammation and impaired brain circuits which researchers believe were caused by the disease. Researchers said the changes noticed in the brains of COVID patients were similar to the changes that occur in both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Combining artificial intelligence technology with data sets related to both Alzheimer's and COVID-19, researchers were able to identify a mechanism by which coronavirus can lead to Alzheimer's-like symptoms. The findings add to the growing body of evidence that COVID-19 infection can have lasting effects on brain function.
Two medications commonly used to treat inflammation and HIV infection have been repurposed in the fight against COVID-19. Researchers found combined cepharanthine/nelfinavir therapy can hasten the clearance of coronavirus infection from a person's lungs in as little as 4.9 days. Cepharanthine hindered the entry of SARS_CoV_2 into cells, preventing the virus from binding to a protein on the cell membrane it uses as a gateway. Nelfinavir prevented the virus from replicating inside cells by inhibiting a protein the virus relies on for replication.
SARS_CoV_2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can directly enter the nervous system. The virus can infect the brain, causing alterations in blood vessels and directly disrupt oxygen supply to the organ.
Using over a century of data from other pandemics, and applying knowledge about the current COVID-19 infection, researchers predict the long term effects coronavirus will have on the brain and nervous system.
Many people reported they felt like time was passing differently during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns. Researchers explore how the pandemic has contributed to the feeling of time distortion.
Researchers found hallmarks of damage caused by thinning and leaky blood vessels in brain samples of people after contracting COVID-19, but saw no evidence of SARS_CoV_2 in the tissue samples. Findings suggest the damage was not caused by a direct viral attack on the brain, but by the body's immune response to the infection.
Researchers have isolated a set of antibodies from a llama which show promise for the treatment of COVID-19. The NIH-CoVnB-112 nanoantibody bound to ACE2 receptors up to ten times stronger than other lab-produced antibodies. The nanoantibody stuck directly to the ACE2 receptor binding portion of the SARS_CoV-2 spike protein. The protein could be effective in preventing coronavirus infection.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 enters the brain via neurons in the olfactory mucosa.
A new small scale study reveals the antidepressant fluvoxamine may be a new tool in the fight against COVID-19. Researchers report fluvoxamine reduced the severity of coronavirus symptoms and hospitalizations.
Researchers propose a strategy for repurposing geroprotectors, including rapamycin and metformin, as potential COVID-19 infection prevention methods.
