Although the world has entered the stage of recovery from the Corona epidemic, which paralyzed all walks of life on the globe for more than two years, many Facts and explanations are still unfolding Day following day.
A recent American study revealed that severe Covid-19 disease appears somewhat similar to aging in the human brain, according to a postmortem analysis of 54 healthy and infected individuals.
The study authors say their research is the first to link COVID-19 with molecular signatures of brain aging, according to the journal Nature Aging. Nature Aging.
“We have noticed that gene expression in the brain tissue of patients who died of Covid-19 is very similar to that of uninfected individuals aged 71 years or older,” says public health scientist Jonathan Lee of Harvard University. The sample, made up of people in their early 20s to mid-80s, includes 21 people who had severe COVID-19, one asymptomatic person, and 22 people who did not have the coronavirus.
The researchers also compared their results with those of a person without Alzheimer’s disease and a group of 9 healthy individuals with a history of hospitalization or a ventilator.
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RNA sequencing technology
Using RNA-sequencing technology on samples from the prefrontal cortex, the scientists found that infected people with severe COVID-19 They showed rich gene expression patterns associated with aging.
The brains of the affected individuals looked more similar to the brains of the older individuals in the control group, regardless of their actual age.
In simple terms, genes that are normally downregulated in aging, such as those related to the immune system, were also downregulated in severe COVID-19.
Meanwhile, genes that are down-regulated in aging, such as those related to synaptic activity, cognition and memory, were downregulated in severe COVID-19 as well.
“We also observed significant associations of cellular response to DNA damage, mitochondrial function, regulation of stress response and oxidative stress, vesicular transport, calcium homeostasis, and insulin signaling/secretion pathways previously associated with senescence and brain aging processes,” the authors write. The biological processes that change with normal aging in the brain also change in severe Covid-19.
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Possible long-term consequences
Since the novel coronavirus began infecting humans on a global scale, scientists have feared possible long-term consequences.
Brain damage is one of the most problematic outcomes. Severe cases of COVID-19 are often associated with brain fog, memory loss, stroke, delirium or coma. And in October of 2020, initial brain scans of COVID-19 patients revealed worrying signs of neurological disorder and weakness.
Subsequent studies have since found that even mild COVID-19 infections can affect the brain, although it remains unclear how long these changes might last or how they compare to those with severe COVID-19.
And with each passing year, health experts get a little better idea of the long-term consequences this global pandemic might bring. Three years later, it doesn’t look so good.
The findings of the current study follow other research, published earlier this year, which found that the cognitive impact of severe COVID-19 is equivalent to regarding 20 years of aging.
Neuropathologist Marianna Bogiani of the University of Amsterdam told the magazine that the new findings raise “a large number of important questions, not only for understanding the disease, but for preparing society for what the consequences of the epidemic may be.”
She also added that these consequences may not be evident for many years to come. By this time, the global community is likely to suffer a recurrence of COVID-19 infection.
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Neurological consequences of the virus
Interestingly, in the current study, the researchers found no genetic evidence of MERS-CoV in the brains of infected patients, which indicates that the neurological consequences of the virus may not be direct due to its presence in the nervous system.
However, the researchers found evidence that tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is linked to inflammation, brain aging and cognitive decline caused by aging, was present at higher levels in the brains of affected individuals. Genetic factors associated with antiviral immune responses were also elevated.
The researchers argue that both pathways “may lead to significant deteriorating effects in the brain in the absence of the neuronal incursion of SARS-CoV-2”.
In light of their findings, the team says that people who recover from COVID-19 should receive neurological follow-up. And if the presence of this new virus is enough to cause inflammation in the brain, then any infected individual would likely be at risk of brain deterioration.
Until experts know more, researchers say doctors and patients should focus on other risk factors for dementia that we control, such as weight, alcohol consumption and exercise.
It may also be a good idea to avoid future COVID-19 infections as best you can.