A recently published paper was based on brain autopsies from nine individuals who died after contracting COVI-19.
As specified in a Malay Mail report, this small new study by scientists at the United States National Institutes of Health, or NIH, suggests that the immune response stimulated by COVID-19 infection is damaging the brain's blood vessels, and could be accountable for long COVID symptoms.
Instead of detecting evidence of coronavirus in the brain, the team discovered that it was the own antibodies of the people that attacked the cells lining the brain's blood vessels, leading to inflammation and damage.
This discovery could explain why some people have lingering effects from infection during fatigue, headache, loss of smell and taste, inability to sleep, and "brain fog." More so, it may also help develop new treatments for long COVID.
Blood Vessel Damage and Inflammation in the Brain
Avindra Nath, NIH scientist and senior author of the paper published in the Brain journal, said that patients frequently develop neurological complications with COVID-19, although the underlying pathophysiological process is not well understood.
The scientist added, that they had previously shown blood vessel damage and inflammation in the brains of the patients at autopsy, although they did not understand the cause of damage.
A similar The Straits Times report specified that the scientist thinks this paper has gained an important understanding of the cascade of events.
#NSTworld A study published by scientists at the US National Institutes of Health suggests that the immune response triggered by #coronavirus infections damages the #brain's #bloodvessels and could be responsible for #longCovid symptoms.https://t.co/hLmGX0MhPa#Covid19
— New Straits Times (@NST_Online) July 6, 2022
The nine people, whose age ranges from 24 to 73 years old, were selected from the team's prior study since they showed evidence of blood vessel impairment in their brains based on scans.
Immunohistochemistry
The subjects' brains were compared to those of 10 controls, with the research team investigating neuroinflammation and immune responses using an immunohistochemistry technique.
The scientists found that antibodies against COVID-19 mistakenly targeted cells forming the blood-brain barrier, a structure designed to keep hazardous invaders out of the brain while letting necessary substances pass.
Damage to such cells can result in leakage of proteins, bleeding, and clots, elevating the risk of stroke. The leaks stimulated immune cells called macrophages, as well, to rush to the site to repair the damage that causes inflammation.
The researchers discovered that the normal cellular processes in the site targeted by the attack were severely disrupted, which had implications for things like their ability to detoxify and control metabolism.
Resulting in Neuronal Injury
The study findings provide clues on the biology at play in patients with long-term neurological symptoms and can inform new therapeutics, for instance, a drug targeting the buildup of antibodies on the blood-brain barrier.
In a similar report, The Business Times stated that according to Nath, it is quite plausible that this same immune response prevails in Long COVID patients leading to neuronal injury.
He added that a drug that dials down that immune response could help those patients. Therefore, these findings have essential therapeutic implications.
Related information about brain fog is shown on Utah Neuro Rehabilitation's YouTube video below:
Check out more news and information on COVID-19 in Science Times.
