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Lyoo KS, Kim HM, Lee B, Che YH, Kim SJ, Song D, Hwang W, Lee S, Park JH, Na W, Yun SP, Kim YJ. Direct neuronal infection of SARS-CoV-2 reveals cellular and molecular pathology of chemosensory impairment of COVID-19 patients. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:406-411. [PMID: 34962444 PMCID: PMC8803065 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.2024095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Patients with recent pandemic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) complain of neurological abnormalities in sensory functions such as smell and taste in the early stages of infection. Determining the cellular and molecular mechanism of sensory impairment is critical to understand the pathogenesis of clinical manifestations, as well as in setting therapeutic targets for sequelae and recurrence. The absence of studies utilizing proper models of human peripheral nerve hampers an understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis. Here, we report that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) directly infects human peripheral sensory neurons, leading to molecular pathogenesis for chemosensory impairments. An in vitro system utilizing human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived peripheral neurons was used to model the cellular and molecular pathologies responsible for symptoms that most COVID-19 patients experience early in infection or may develop as sequelae. Peripheral neurons differentiated from hESCs expressed viral entry factor ACE2, and were directly infected with SARS-CoV-2 via ACE2. Human peripheral neurons infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhibited impaired molecular features of chemosensory function associated with abnormalities in sensory neurons of the olfactory or gustatory organs. Our results provide new insights into the pathogenesis of chemosensory dysfunction in patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Soo Lyoo
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan, Korea
| | - Hyeon Myeong Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bina Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea
| | - Young Hyun Che
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seong-Jae Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, Korea
| | - Daesub Song
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University, Sejong, Korea
| | - Woochang Hwang
- Biostatistical Consulting and Research Lab, Medical Research Collaborating Center, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Sun Lee
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jae-Hoon Park
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Woonsung Na
- Department of Veterinary Virology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Seung Pil Yun
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea
| | - Yong Jun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
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