SARS-CoV-2 targets neurons of 3D human brain organoids.
Anand RamaniLisa MüllerPhilipp N OstermannElke GabrielPranty Abida-IslamAndreas Müller-SchiffmannAruljothi MariappanOlivier GoureauHenning GruellAndreas WalkerMarcel AndréeSandra HaukaTorsten HouwaartAlexander DiltheyKai WohlgemuthHeymut OmranFlorian KleinDagmar WieczorekOrtwin AdamsJörg TimmCarsten KorthHeiner SchaalJay GopalakrishnanPublished in: The EMBO journal (2020)
COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is a public health emergency. COVID-19 typically exhibits respiratory illness. Unexpectedly, emerging clinical reports indicate that neurological symptoms continue to rise, suggesting detrimental effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we show that a Düsseldorf isolate of SARS-CoV-2 enters 3D human brain organoids within 2 days of exposure. We identified that SARS-CoV-2 preferably targets neurons of brain organoids. Imaging neurons of organoids reveal that SARS-CoV-2 exposure is associated with altered distribution of Tau from axons to soma, hyperphosphorylation, and apparent neuronal death. Our studies, therefore, provide initial insights into the potential neurotoxic effect of SARS-CoV-2 and emphasize that brain organoids could model CNS pathologies of COVID-19.
Keyphrases
- sars cov
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- public health
- spinal cord
- emergency department
- cerebral ischemia
- induced pluripotent stem cells
- coronavirus disease
- white matter
- blood brain barrier
- healthcare
- high resolution
- gene expression
- multiple sclerosis
- resting state
- magnetic resonance
- risk assessment
- magnetic resonance imaging
- photodynamic therapy
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- fluorescence imaging
- diffusion weighted imaging