A research group from Keio University and other institutions has announced the experimental results that have found that the new coronavirus easily infects nerve cells that function immune in the brain. We hope to elucidate the causes of nerve abnormalities and sequelae that occur after infection.
This was published in an international journal of neuroscience by a group led by Professor Hideyuki Okano of Keio University.
In order to investigate the effects of the new coronavirus on the brain, the group created a mass of cells called "organoids" that reproduced three types of neurons and a part of the brain from human iPS cells to investigate whether the virus would infect them.
As a result, the conventional type, the Delta variant, and the virus that artificially reproduced the characteristics of the Omicron variant all infected neurons called microglia, which function as immune in the brain.
On the other hand, it did not infect other neurons or organoids.
People infected with the new corona may have memory impairment or "brain fog" that reduces thinking ability due to feeling as if they have "haze", but the reason for these abnormalities was not known.
The research group believes that the new coronavirus is infected by proteins abundant in microglia, and hopes to elucidate the causes of post-infection symptoms and sequelae.
Professor Okano says, "I would like to conduct further research on how these results are specifically connected to symptoms such as brain fog."