Weill Cornell Medicine researchers recently discovered that SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — can infect not only the lungs but also the brain. Researchers specifically studied the effects of COVID-19 on the brain’s dopaminergic neurons, which are midbrain cells dedicated to dopamine secretion. “We put the same type of [dopamine] cells in 300 wells, and after several days, we can see markers,” Chen said. Leaderboard 2With this study, researchers delved beyond the impacts of COVID-19 on previously investigated regions, including the lung, pancreatic beta and placenta. Specifically, there is a lack of knowledge on the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on neural senescence, Chen said.

Source: Daily Sun February 05, 2024 09:55 UTC