Healthcare e-Compendium
A joint initiative of DPSRU & DRSC
Healthcare e-Compendium
A joint initiative of DPSRU & DRSC
Author: Medical Team (Alniche Life Sciences)
Blog
download ArticleSARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic, could increase the risk of degeneration of brain as seen in Parkinson's disease, finds a new study conducted on mice. Parkinson’s disease affects 0.1–0.2% of the world’s population. Its incidence increases with age to 1% in those over 60 years of age. According to the research, published in the Journal of Movement Disorders, concluded that the Coronavirus can make the mouse brain more susceptible to a toxin that induces nerve-cell loss seen in Parkinsonism.
"Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University found evidence via a mouse model suggesting SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease"
"Now, scientists from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, reported a link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease via a mouse model"
According to the new study Dr. Richard Smeyne, his previous study — in which he also participated — showed the H1N1 influenza increased sensitivity of the dopaminergic neurons in the brain to a chemical called MPTP in a mouse model. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Smeyne said study was conducted to determine, that those who survived the infection would show a similar effect in the dopaminergic neurons.
"Unfortunately, we found that infection with the initial SARS-CoV-2 variant was about two times more sensitizing to mitochondrial toxin (MPTP) than the 2009 H1N1 influenza.”
COVID-19 and neuron loss
For the study, researchers infected genetically-altered mice with the SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. The mice were allowed for the recover, after 38 days, recovered mice received a low dose of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Two weeks later, upon brain examination, scientists found that the SARS-CoV-2 infection failed to negatively have an effect on dopaminergic neurons. Similar neuron loss, that seen in Parkinson’s disease was observed in the mice when injected with MPTP.
"What is it about SARS-CoV-2 infection that made the mice more susceptible to MPTP? Dr. Smeyne believed it has something to do with the inflammatory reaction the infection causes in the body, triggering an increase in pro inflammatory cytokines — the cytokine storm"
Inflammatory cells from the body are transmitted to the brain, which then works as anti-inflammatory and induces the immune cells of the brain, called microglia” Dr. Smeyne. SARS-CoV-2, that would be considered moderate to severe, will increase risk by about two times that seen after flu, or what we would predict to be about 3.5 out of 100. In conclusion, the risk is still not that great.
According to the CDC, 2.8 million people in the USA had a SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovered from COVID-19 with 320,000 of them hospitalized, and we would expect 2% or 120,000 to develop PD. In regards to this study, Dr. Okun said the study took place in a non-human setting, it does strongly suggest the combination of MPTP and SARS-CoV-2 infection resulted in worrisome effects on brain tissue.
In closure, the study was animal-based and short exposure did not closely provide real image, the findings were concerning,”
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