SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – New research from the University of 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.
However, it can be more harmful to the brain.
“Although the viral infection is much smaller in the brain, the lower infection led to pathways to kill these cells,” says Dr. Tariq Rana, a professor at UC San Diego who led the study.
The laboratory of Dr. Rana used stem cells to create mini-organs of the brain 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 could replicate much more than to 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 miniorgan of the brain increases the production of the TLR3 molecule, which helps recognize disease and activates immunity.
This molecule also helps facilitate programmed cell death.
“This could cause toxic effects on the brain,” says Dr. Rana. He adds that this may explain why people who have COVID-19 report symptoms like “Brain Mist”.
The CDC estimates that 30% of people receiving 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 study. Dr. Rana says his lab will study 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 depending on their race.