SARS-CoV-2 infects and disrupts the choroid plexus in human brain organoids
October 2020
Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 leads to respiratory pathologies that range from non-symptomatic infections to fatal cases. Additionally, there have been reports of neurological symptoms, but the mechanisms behind these complications remain unknown. Here, human pluripotent stem cells were used to generate brain organoids to study SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism and uncover potential mechanisms underlying the neural pathology associated with the disease. The results showed that ACE2 viral receptor was expressed in choroid plexus epithelial cells but not in other brain cell types, which refers to the infection of only epithelial choroid plexus epithelial cells with the live virus or spike pseudovirus. Furthermore, the infection affected a subtype of more mature cells expressing apolipoprotein and ACE2. Finally, choroid plexus infection drove damages in the epithelium and barrier leakage. Overall, the researchers demonstrate that there are brain cells susceptive to being infected by SARS-CoV-2 and, when these cells are damaged, lead to choroid plexus disruption and barrier leaking.
SARS-CoV-2 infects the brain choroid plexus and disrupts the blood-CSF barrier in human brain organoids
Madeline A. Lancaster
Added on: 11-29-2021
[1] https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(20)30495-1
