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A Preclinical Controlled Cortical Impact Model for Traumatic Hemorrhage Contusion and Neuroinflammation
Published on: June 10, 2020
SARS-CoV-2 and the central nervous system: Emerging insights into hemorrhage-associated neurological consequences and
Joy Mitra1, Manohar Kodavati1, Vincent E Provasek2
1Division of DNA Repair Research, Center for Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Insights
COVID-19 survivors may face long-term neurological issues, including brain bleeds and neurodegeneration, especially the elderly. This review explores SARS-CoV-2
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Virology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, leads to systemic inflammation and multi-organ failure.
- Neurological complications, including neurodegeneration, are a significant concern for COVID-19 survivors, particularly the elderly.
- SARS-CoV-2 infection affects brain cells, potentially causing microbleeds and stroke-like pathologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the neuropathological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in COVID-19 survivors.
- To focus on hemorrhagic brain damage, its link to aging, and potential therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of emerging studies on SARS-CoV-2 neuropathology.
- Analysis of potential mechanisms linking blood degradation products to neurovascular events.
- Exploration of cellular senescence and ferroptosis in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Main Results:
- SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to cerebral microbleeds and deep-brain hemorrhages.
- Age-associated conditions exacerbate the risk of severe neurological complications post-COVID-19.
- Potential mechanisms involve genome instability, cellular senescence, and ferroptosis, similar to observed neurovascular events.
Conclusions:
- COVID-19 survivors face risks of irreversible neurological damage and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Hemorrhagic brain damage is a critical concern, especially in elderly individuals with comorbidities.
- Future research should focus on mechanism-guided therapeutic strategies for managing COVID-19-related neuropathology.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to impact our lives by causing widespread illness and death and poses a threat due to the possibility of emerging strains. SARS-CoV-2 targets angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) before entering vital organs of the body, including the brain. Studies have shown systemic inflammation, cellular senescence, and viral toxicity-mediated multi-organ failure occur during infectious periods. However, prognostic investigations suggest that both acute and long-term neurological complications, including predisposition to irreversible neurodegenerative diseases, can be a serious concern for COVID-19 survivors, especially the elderly population. As emerging studies reveal sites of SARS-CoV-2 infection in different parts of the brain, potential causes of chronic lesions including cerebral and deep-brain microbleeds and the likelihood of developing stroke-like pathologies increases, with critical long-term consequences, particularly for individuals with neuropathological and/or age-associated comorbid conditions. Our recent studies linking the blood degradation products to genome instability, leading to cellular senescence and ferroptosis, raise the possibility of similar neurovascular events as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this review, we discuss the neuropathological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection in COVID survivors, focusing on possible hemorrhagic damage in brain cells, its association to aging, and the future directions in developing mechanism-guided therapeutic strategies.
