Nat Neurosci: New research suggests the new coronavirus can enter the brain through a blood-brain barrier

December 19, 2020 /--- -- There is growing evidence that cognitive impairment, such as brain fog and fatigue, is affected in patients with COVID-19.
scientists have also discovered why.
SARS-CoV-2 virus, like many previous viruses, is bad news for the brain.
a new study, researchers from research institutions such as the University of Washington School of Medicine in the United States found that SARS-CoV-2 prickly proteins can cross the blood-brain barrier in mice.
strongly suggests that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can enter the brain.
results were published online December 16, 2020 in the journal Nature Neuroscience under the title "The S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 crosses the blood-brain barrier in mice".
S1 protein is ingested evenly by all brain regions, pictured is Nature Neuroscience, 2020, doi:10.1038/s41593-020-00771-8.
the prickly protein, commonly known as S1 protein, determines which cells SARS-CoV-2 can enter.
the virus does the same thing as its binding protein, said William A. Banks, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and author of the paper.
, a binding protein like S1, usually causes damage in itself because they break away from the virus and cause inflammation, banks said.
S1 protein is likely to cause the brain to release cytokines and inflammatory products, " he said.
the scientific community, intense inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is called cytokine storms.
the immune system sees a virus and its proteins, it overreacts in an attempt to kill the invading virus.
people with brain fog, fatigue, and other cognitive problems.
bank and his team observed this reaction in HIV to see if SARS CoV-2 did the same.
, the S1 protein in SARS-CoV2 has similar functions to the gp 120 protein in HIV-1.
are glycoproteins -- proteins with a lot of sugar on the surface that bind to the host cells.
these two proteins act as the "arms" and "hands" of the virus by grabbing the corresponding hosts.
both can cross the blood-brain barrier, and like gp120, the S1 protein is likely to be toxic to brain tissue.
Banks said, "It seems familiar."
"He has done a lot of research on HIV-1, gp120 and the blood-brain barrier.
's lab studies the blood-brain barrier in alzheimer's, obesity, diabetes and HIV patients.
, they put their research on hold, and 15 people in the lab started studying the S1 protein in April.
they brought in longtime collaborator Professor Jacob Raber of Oregon Health and Science University and his team.
study may explain many of the complications of COVID-19.
Banks said, "We know that when you're infected with SARS-CoV-2, you have trouble breathing because your lungs are infected, but another explanation is that the virus enters the breathing center of the brain and causes problems there."
, Raber said, in their experiments, the S1 protein was transported faster in male mice's olfactory balls and kidneys than in female mice.
this observation may be related to men's more likely to have more severe COVID-19 results.
For those who take the virus lightly, Banks has something to say, "Many of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 virus may be exacerbated or perpetuate by the virus entering the brain, and these effects may last for a long time."
" (Bioon.com) Reference: 1. Elizabeth M. Rhea et al. The S1 protein of SARS-CoV-2 crosses the blood–brain barrier in mice. Nature Neuroscience, 2020, doi:10.1038/s41593-020-00771-8.2.Research strongly suggests COVID-19 virus enters the brain。