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 ten times more in the lungs than in the brain.
Still, it can be more harmful to the brain.
“While viral infection is much less common in the brain, the lower infection led to the pathways to kill those cells,” said Dr. Tariq Rana, the UC San Diego professor who led the study.
Dr. Rana used stem cells to create mini brain organs and cells. They then infected the mini-organoids with a “pseudovirus”, a non-infectious version of SARS-CoV-2.
They found that the virus could bind to lung cells and multiply much more than in the brain.
However, the brain’s response to the virus can make it more dangerous to the central nervous system than previously thought.
When infected, the brain’s mini-organ increased production of the TLR3 molecule, which aids in disease recognition and activates immunity.
That molecule also helps facilitate programmed cell death.
“That could lead to toxic effects in the brain,” says Dr. Rana. He adds that this may explain why people with COVID-19 report symptoms such as “Brain Fog.”
The CDC estimates that 30% of people who get COVID-19 report some type of neurological problem.
Dr. Rana’s research led to a larger grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine to continue the research. Dr. Rana says his lab 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 their race.