SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – New research from the UC San Diego School of Medicine shows how COVID-19 affects organs differently.
According to a study published in Stem Cell Reports, the disease replicates in the lungs ten times more than in the brain.
Still, it can be more damaging to the brain.
“Even though the viral infection is much less in the brain, the lower infection led to ways to kill these cells,” said Dr. Tariq Rana, the professor at UC San Diego who led the study.
Dr. Rana’s laboratory used stem cells to create mini-brain organs and cells. They then infected the miniorganoid with a “pseudovirus”, a non-infectious version of SARS-CoV-2.
They found that the virus can bind to lung cells and replicate itself much more than in the brain.
However, the brain’s response to the virus may make it more dangerous to the Central Nervous System than previously thought.
When infected, the cerebral mini-organ increases the production of the TLR3 molecule, which helps to recognize diseases and activates immunity.
This molecule also helps to facilitate programmed cell death.
“This can lead to toxic effects on the brain,” says Dr. Rana. He adds that this may explain why people with COVID-19 report symptoms like “Brain fog”.
The CDC estimates that 30% of people receiving COVID-19 report some type of neurological problem.
Dr. Rana’s research resulted in a larger grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine to continue the study. Dr. Rana says his laboratory will look at treatment options.
They also plan to expand their research to include stem cells from people of different ethnicities. He hopes to find out how the disease affects people differently based on race.