PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsStem cell model reveals how SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain

BioNews

Stem cell model reveals how SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain

Published 23 July 2021 posted in News and appears in BioNews 1105

Author

Jessica Peixinho

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).

A stem cell model has been developed to highlight the route of infection of the brain by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19...

A stem cell model has been developed to highlight the route of infection of the brain by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Pericytes are multi-functional cells that wrap around blood vessels, and they carry the ACE2 receptor that SARS-CoV2 uses to infect cells. US researchers introduced these cells to stem cell-derived brain organoids to create 'assembloids', a sophisticated stem cell model of the human body, which contains many types of brain cells, including pericytes, to model the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the nervous system.

'The prospect of COVID 19-induced brain damage has become a primary concern in cases of long COVID, but human neurons in culture are not susceptible to infection.' said lead author Professor Joseph Gleeson from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. 'Prior publications suggest that the cells that make the spinal fluid could become infected with SARS-CoV-2, but other routes of entry seemed likely.'

Primarily a respiratory virus, SARS-CoV-2's long-term effects on the brain are not yet fully understood. The researchers, who have published their results in Nature Medicine, exposed the organoid to the virus. Using fluorescently tagged viral proteins and microscopy techniques they found that pericytes became infected. SARS-CoV-2 could then be produced by the pericytes, which served as 'replication hubs' aiding the spread of infection to other cell types, causing further damage. Interestingly, astrocytes, neural support cells, were the main target for secondary infection, leading to cell death.

Neural cell resistance to SARS-CoV-2 infection was also confirmed. When cortical organoids were exposed to the virus, fluorescent microscopy showed no changes in cell characteristics, as opposed to the pericyte based organoid. This reflects the findings of previous brain organoid and animal models which suggested that most neural cells have limited vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

It is possible that the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor containing cells is enough for infection. SARS-CoV-2 can use ACE2 as a receptor and this study found that blocking the ACE2 receptor with an ACE2 antibody partially prevented pericyte SARS-CoV-2 infection. Considering clinical and experimental data supporting ACE2 expression in pericytes, this model presents an alternative route to infection.

The authors explained that the results of this study implicate blood vessels as a potential route of brain infection by SARS-CoV-2. Infected pericytes can spread the infection to other types of brain cell, as well as cause blood vessel inflammation, followed by clotting, stroke or haemorrhages. Such complications are often observed in patients hospitalised with severe COVID-19.

The team has proposed the development of improved assembloids that contain pericytes and blood vessels capable of pumping blood in attempts to better model the human brain. Professor Gleeson commented that 'through these models greater insight into infectious disease and other human brain diseases could emerge.'

Sources and References

  • 09/07/2021
    Nature Medicine
    A human three-dimensional neural-perivascular ‘assembloid’ promotes astrocytic development and enables modeling of SARS-CoV-2 neuropathology
  • 16/07/2021
    University of California San Diego
    3D 'assembloid' shows how SARS-CoV-2 infects brain cells

Related Articles

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).
News
25 June 2021 • 2 minutes read

Airway model developed to study viral lung infections

by Devika Sooklall

Stem cell models may help investigate COVID-19 and other lung diseases...

Image by K Hardy via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human embryo at the blastocyst stage (about six days after fertilisation) 'hatching' out of the zona pellucida.
CC BY 4.0
Image by K Hardy via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human embryo at the blastocyst stage (about six days after fertilisation) 'hatching' out of the zona pellucida.
News
26 February 2021 • 2 minutes read

Organoids of human lung and brain respond differently to SARS-CoV-2

by Emma Lamb

The body's response to infection by SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) varies across different cell types, according to a new study...

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).
News
23 October 2020 • 2 minutes read

Organoids indicate that SARS-CoV-2 damages the brain barrier

by Dr Melanie Krause

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, can disrupt the blood-brain barrier in organoids and damage cells in the choroid plexus, which may lead to long-term neurological complications...

Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
CC BY 4.0
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false-coloured cryogenic scanning electron micrograph).
News
3 July 2020 • 2 minutes read

Organoids suggest COVID-19 virus can infect human brain cells

by Bethany Muller

Researchers used stem cell-derived brain organoids to show that COVID-19 can infect and replicate inside brain cells...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Mouse eggs made from mouse stem cells matured in vitro

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

First UK medical guidelines issued for trans fertility preservation

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Male age has more impact on IVF birth rate than previously thought

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Complex structures of the human heart bioengineered

8 August 2022 • 1 minute read

Brain tumour gene also linked to childhood cancers

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856