{"id":3187,"date":"2021-11-08T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=3187"},"modified":"2021-10-26T06:03:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T06:03:46","slug":"covid-19-affects-more-of-the-brain-than-expected-new-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/covid-19-affects-more-of-the-brain-than-expected-new-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 Affects More of the Brain than Expected, New Study Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

New research published in the journal Nature Neuroscience<\/em> reveals alarming insights into the true damage caused by COVID-19 on an infected person\u2019s body. A collaborative effort between researchers from Germany, France, and Spain, successfully showed COVID-19\u2019s capability to destroy cells in the brain known as cerebrovascular endothelial cells<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These cells, known in general as endothelial cells<\/em>, form the internal walls of blood vessels all over the body, known as the endothelium<\/em>. They are thus crucial in the distribution of oxygen and other nutrients across the body through the blood. Killing off these cells means severely impacting the performance of these blood vessels, restricting blood flow to these parts of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Endothelial cells can actually be found in all blood vessels, as it forms its interior surface known as an endothelium. It can also be found in the eye, as it forms the interior surface of the cornea, as shown in the image above with its honeycomb structure. (He\/Wikimedia Commons, 2015) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This new finding comes as the latest in a long line of findings about the current pandemic that has swept through the world<\/a>. Earlier research into the SARS-CoV-2 virus has revealed how it entered cells in our bodies<\/a>, as well as showcase just how dangerous the new dominant variants of COVID-19 really are<\/a>. And while new medicines are being developed to fight against COVID-19, much like the recently-developed Mulnopiravir<\/em> by pharmaceutical company Merck<\/a>, it nevertheless remains a priority for researchers to identify the extent of the damage the widespread infection imparts on the people it infects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This particular study, however, actually gathered its findings by analyzing the brains of patients who had died from the pandemic\u2019s virus. There, they found the presence of string vessels<\/em> in the brains of these corpses, which are remnants of capillaries with no endothelial cells inside them; thus, these vessels are incapable of carrying blood\u2014leading the team to the conclusion that COVID-19 somehow also restricted blood flow to the brain, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Restricting these blood vessels would deprive nearby organs of oxygen and necessary nutrients that it needs to carry out its function. A similar case is observed in those who have died from COVID-19, implying the role the virus plays in effectively \u201ckilling\u201d blood vessels leading to the brain. (Leonardo et al\/Wikimedia Commons, 2018) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Their startling findings correspond to data suggesting that around 84% of COVID-19 patients suffer from neurological symptoms, like confusion, epileptic seizures, and anosmia<\/em>, or the loss of sense of taste and smell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our finding on #SARSCoV2<\/a> and the brain\u00b4s microvasculature was published in @NatureNeuro<\/a> today. We used cells, animal models, and #COVID19<\/a> patients samples to show that the virus kills brain endothelial cells, possibly explaining neurological symptoms: https:\/\/t.co\/ZV9SHqef8V<\/a>.<\/p>— Jan Wenzel (@NeuroVascWenz) October 21, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>