Protein linguishment in the brain is responsible for the extended lifespan of COVID

According to a recent study, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can cause long-lasting neurological symptoms from COVID-19 because it can persist in brain-protective tissues and skull bone marrow for years after infection. Through the use of sophisticated imaging, scientists found that these areas had higher levels of spike protein, which raises the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and causes chronic inflammation in the brain.

Spike protein accumulation has been demonstrated to be 50% reduced by mRNA COVID-19 vaccines; however, residual protein may still be dangerous. The results emphasize the need for early diagnostic methods and novel treatments to address long-term impacts on brain health.

Key Facts:.

For years after infection, spike protein remains in the bone marrow and brain tissues.

mRNA vaccines cut the buildup of spike proteins in the brain by half.

A persistent presence of spike protein may raise the risk of stroke and hasten brain aging.

The source is Helmholtz.

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) and Helmholtz Munich researchers have discovered a mechanism that could account for the neurological symptoms of prolonged COVID.

According to the research, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can linger in the bone marrow of the skull, the meninges, and the protective layers of the brain for up to four years following infection.

Affected people may experience chronic inflammation as a result of the spike protein’s ongoing presence, which could raise their risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.

Under the direction of Prof. Helmholtz Munich’s Institute for Intelligent Biotechnologies Director Ali Ertürk also discovered that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines considerably lessen the buildup of the spike protein in the brain.

Nonetheless, the ability of spike protein to persist in the skull and meninges following infection presents a target for novel treatment approaches.

In the brain, spike protein builds up.

An innovative AI-powered imaging method created by Prof. Ertürk’s team offers fresh perspectives on the brain effects of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Through the process of making organs and tissue samples transparent, cellular structures, metabolites, and, in this instance, viral proteins can be seen in three dimensions.

With the aid of this technology, the scientists discovered previously unnoticed spike protein distributions in tissue samples taken from mice and COVID-19 patients.

Even after years of infection, the study, which was published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, showed markedly higher levels of spike protein in the meninges and bone marrow of the skull.

These areas are especially rich in so-called ACE2 receptors, which the spike protein binds to.

According to Dr. Zhouyi Rong, the study’s first author, “this may make these tissues especially vulnerable to the long-term accumulation of spike protein.”.

“Our findings also indicate that persistent spike protein at the boundaries of the brain may be involved in the long-term neurological consequences of COVID-19 and long COVID,” Ertürk continues. This includes accelerated brain aging, which may cause afflicted people to lose five to ten years of normal brain function. “.”.

Vaccines lessen inflammation in the brain and spike protein accumulation.

They found that the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dramatically lowers spike protein accumulation in the brain. No research was done on other mRNA vaccines or vaccine types, such as vector- or protein-based vaccines.

Comparing mice that received the mRNA vaccine to mice that were not, the former displayed reduced amounts of spike protein in both brain tissue and the bone marrow of the skull. Nevertheless, the reduction was only about 50%, meaning that there is still residual spike protein that is harmful to the brain.

“This reduction is a significant step,” says Prof. Erdtürk. Even though our findings are based on mouse models and are only partially applicable to humans, they nevertheless highlight the necessity of more treatments and measures to completely address the long-term costs associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections. “”.

Moreover, more research is required to assess the significance of these results for long-term COVID patients.

Long COVID: An issue for society and medicine.

Five to 10 percent of people worldwide have long-term COVID-19, and 50 to 60 percent of people have been infected with the virus. This amounts to about 400 million people who might have high levels of spike protein in their bodies.

“This is a societal problem, not just a personal health issue,” says Prof. Ertürk.

“Our research demonstrates that mRNA vaccines provide essential protection and dramatically lower the risk of long-term neurological effects. After vaccination, infections can still happen, though, and the body may develop persistent spike proteins.

Chronic inflammation of the brain and a higher risk of strokes and other brain injuries can result from these, which may have significant effects on public health and healthcare systems around the world. “”.

improvements in diagnosis and care.

“Our findings create new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19’s long-term neurological effects,” says Ertürk.

Bone marrow and meninges, which are prone to spike protein accumulation, are easier to examine medically than brain tissue.

This could make it possible to identify spike proteins or inflammatory markers in blood plasma or cerebrospinal fluid when used in conjunction with protein panels, which are tests made to find particular proteins in tissue samples.

According to Ertürk, “these markers are essential for the early diagnosis of COVID-19-related neurological complications.”.

Furthermore, defining these proteins could aid in the creation of biomarkers and targeted treatments to better treat or even avoid COVID-19-related neurological impairments. “.”.

Emphasizing the study’s wider implications, prominent virologist Prof. Ulrike Protzer continues, “This study, which clarifies brain invasion pathways and unexpected long-term host involvement, is timely given the ongoing global impact of COVID-19 and the growing focus on long-term effects.”. These important discoveries are not only important from a scientific standpoint but also highly desirable to the general public. “”.

Regarding the lengthy COVID research release.

The writer is Verena Schulz.

Helmholtz, the source.

Reach out to Helmholtz’s Verena Schulz.

Image: Neuroscience News is credited with this image.

Original Study: Publicly available.

“Spike protein persistence at the skull-meninges-brain axis may contribute to the neurological sequelae of COVID-19,” according to Zhouyi Rong et al. A microbe and its cell host.

abstract.

One possible explanation for the neurological aftereffects of COVID-19 is the persistence of spike protein at the skull-meninges-brain axis.

The underlying mechanisms of the long-lasting neurological symptoms linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection are still unknown.

We found that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein accumulated in the skull-meninges-brain axis of human COVID-19 patients using optical clearing and imaging, and that this accumulation persisted long after viral clearance.

Proteomic examination of human skull, meninges, and brain samples showed dysregulated inflammatory pathways and alterations linked to neurodegeneration. Additionally, biomarkers of neurodegeneration were increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of long-term COVID patients.

The spike protein’s distribution patterns in SARS-CoV-2-infected mice were comparable.

Just injecting spike protein was enough to cause neuroinflammation, alter the skull-meninges-brain axis proteome, cause anxiety-like behavior, and worsen the results of stroke and traumatic brain injury in mouse models.

Vaccination decreased, but did not completely eradicate, the accumulation of spike proteins in mice following infection.

Our results imply that long-lasting neurological effects of COVID-19 may be influenced by persistent spike protein at the edges of the brain.