New study says new coronavirus can infect inner ear

Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, November 2 (Reporter Liu Xia) According to a recent report by the Physicist Organization Network, a new study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Massachusetts School of Eye and Ear shows that the new crown virus does infect people.

Previously, many patients infected with the new coronavirus have reported hearing loss and tinnitus, and some patients have reported dizziness and balance problems, which indicates that the new coronavirus may infect the inner ear

After the outbreak of the new crown, researchers found that some patients with hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness had tested positive for the new crown virus.

The researchers extracted human skin cells and transformed them into induced pluripotent stem cells, and then stimulated them to differentiate into hair cells, supporting cells, nerve fibers, and Schwann cells that isolate neurons in the inner ear, thereby establishing a cell model

In human inner ear samples and stem cell-derived cell models, the researchers found that hair cells and Schwann cells express the proteins necessary for the new coronavirus to enter the cell-including the ACE2 receptor on the cell surface, furin and the transmembrane protease serine- 2.

In addition, the pattern of infection that the researchers found in their tissue samples was consistent with the symptoms observed in 10 patients with new crowns who reported ear-related symptoms after infection

The researchers explained that the possible ways for the new coronavirus to enter the ear include the Eustachian tube connecting the nose and middle ear.

One of the research leaders, Lee Gelke of MIT, said that they hope to use this human cell model to test possible therapies to treat inner ear infections caused by the new coronavirus and other viruses