Unraveling the Possible Routes of SARS-COV-2 Invasion into the Central Nervous System.
Maria LimaVasileios SiokasAthina-Maria AloizouIoannis LiampasAlexios-Fotios A MentisZisis TsourisAnastasios PapadimitriouPanayiotis D MitsiasAristidis TsatsakisDimitrios P BogdanosStavros J BaloyannisEfthimios DardiotisPublished in: Current treatment options in neurology (2020)
SARS-CoV-2 like other CoVs is neuroinvasive, neurotropic and neurovirulent. Two main pathways of CNS penetration seem to be the strongest candidates, the hematogenous and the neuronal. Τhe olfactory route in particular appears to play a significant role in neuroinvasion of coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2, as well. However, existing data suggest that other routes, involving the nasal epithelium in general, lymphatic tissue and the CSF may also play roles in SARS-CoV-2 invasion into the CNS.