Credit: AI-generated, DALL-E 3.
Researchers at the University of Queensland may have found a method to reverse the brains premature aging triggered by COVID-19. The group led by Dr. Julio Aguado used brain organoids– mini, lab-grown designs of the brain grown from human stem cells– to untangle the system through which the virus affects brain tissue. Armed with this understanding, they then checked a variety of compounds and found not one however rather four drugs that might possibly reverse the damage.
The Battle Against Zombie Cells
Throughout their examination, the Australian researchers discovered that the infection accelerates the build-up of zombie or senescent cells, which are generally related to natural aging. Senescent cells turn undead with aging and stress– undead in the sense that they stop to replicate however also withstand the body immune system activity that eliminates dead cells.
Scientists at the University of Queensland might have discovered a way to reverse the brains premature aging triggered by COVID-19. The group led by Dr. Julio Aguado used brain organoids– miniature, lab-grown models of the brain grown from human stem cells– to untangle the mechanism through which the virus impacts brain tissue. Months after infection, some clients cant shake the feeling that their brain is lost in a maze, and they cant discover their method back. These drugs revealed promise both in revitalizing the brain organoids and when utilized in a COVID-19-infected mouse model.
“Long term, we can expect prevalent use of these drugs to treat persistent post-acute infection syndromes brought on by viral infections like COVID-19,” said Aguado.
“Our research study perfectly shows how human brain models can speed up the pre-clinical screening of rehabs– while also moving towards animal-free screening– with potentially international impacts,” stated Professor Ernst Wolvetang, an organoid professional at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
Months after infection, some clients cant shake the sensation that their brain is lost in a labyrinth, and they cant discover their method back. This “brain fog” is a typical problem among clients with “long COVID”.
The findings appeared in the journal Nature Aging.
When the researchers examined brain tissue from departed clients who had succumbed to severe coronavirus infections, they discovered at least 7 times more proteins connected with zombie cells. It is likely that the infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the infection that causes COVID-19) set off the cellular senescence.
This alarming finding prompted the group to seek a method to reverse the clock on these cells. Their mission led to the identification of four drugs that successfully cleared away these damaging cells: navitoclax, ABT-737, fisetin, and a dasatinib-quercetin combination (D+Q). When used in a COVID-19-infected mouse model, these drugs showed pledge both in revitalizing the brain organoids and.
Such research highlights the power of brain organoids, which open doors for experiments that are usually difficult or unethical in humans. The exact same method might also transform Alzheimers research study and the treatment of various diseases where cell senescence is an aspect.
“Senescent cells are known to drive tissue inflammation and degeneration, leaving clients exposed to cognitive problems like brain fog and memory loss,” states Aguado.