Team famous for HIV breakthroughs demonstrates both
persistent COVID virus and widespread immune activation in long
COVID; provides clear targets for treatment
Key points:
- SARS-CoV-2 double-stranded RNA indicative of viral replication
was found in long COVID gut tissue up to 676 days
post-infection
- T cell immune activation was documented across long COVID body
sites including the spinal cord and gut wall
- Clinical trials of drugs to target persistent virus or immune
activation in long COVID must be urgently accelerated
MEDFORD,
Mass., July 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Research
published today in Science Translational Medicine and
supported by the PolyBio Research Foundation shows that the
SARS-CoV-2 virus can chronically persist in the gut of patients
with long COVID for over 2 years. The findings, published by a UC
San Francisco team known for previous innovation in HIV research,
also documented T cell immune activation across the bodies and
brains of people after COVID. This T cell activation was
particularly elevated in the spinal cord and gut wall of
participants with long COVID.
"We found SARS-CoV-2 double-stranded RNA
suggesting active replication in 3 long COVID gut samples" says
Tim Henrich MD
"Long COVID is not a mystery," says Michael Peluso MD, an
infectious disease researcher in the UCSF School of Medicine who
co-led the study. "Our findings provide clear evidence of virus
persistence and sustained immune activation after COVID-19. We must
use this information to test treatments that might get people
better."
Two potential drivers of long COVID identified
Tens of millions of people across the globe are sick with long
COVID: debilitating chronic symptoms that can last for years after
initial infection. The new study findings provide compelling
evidence for two potential causes of long COVID: persistent
SARS-CoV-2 infection and aberrant T cell activation.
More specifically, the team used an advanced imaging method
called whole-body positron emission tomography with a special
tracer injected by vein to map activated T cells throughout the
bodies of study participants from 27 to 910 days following COVID
infection. Post-COVID study participants showed increased T
cell activation in sites across the brain and body, including the
brain stem, bone marrow, cardiac tissues, and the gut wall compared
to people who were never infected with the virus.
Because the gut was a prime site of T cell activation in
participants with long COVID, the scientists analyzed gut tissue
obtained from a subset of patients. In these samples, they
identified the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA up to 676 days following
initial COVID onset. Viral RNA was detected in samples from all
five long COVID patients tested. The chronic viral RNA was
discovered in connective tissue of the gut wall, a site rich in
immune cells. This suggests the persistent virus may be prompting
an immune response, potentially driving long COVID symptoms.
Indeed some gut samples showed strong evidence of active viral
presence. "We found SARS-CoV-2 double-stranded RNA in 3 long COVID
gut samples," says Tim Henrich MD, a Professor of Medicine in
Residence at UCSF who co-led the study. "This double-stranded RNA
is usually produced during viral replication or active viral life
cycling."
The next step is to rapidly scale up clinical trials capable of
treating persistent virus and immune activation in long COVID. Drs.
Peluso, Henrich and team are already running clinical trials of
monoclonals and antivirals to target persistent COVID, but many
more trials with a wider range of therapeutics are urgently
needed.
About PolyBio
PolyBio Research Foundation is a 501(c)3 transforming how
complex chronic conditions like LongCOVID are studied, diagnosed,
and treated. PolyBio conceptualizes research projects that identify
root cause drivers of chronic conditions and builds collaborative
teams to make the projects a reality. PolyBio is supported by
numerous donors including Kanro - a philanthropic fund to support
open source scientific research established by Vitalik Buterin,
creator of Ethereum.
Contact: Phone: 19178480238 Email: info@polybio.org
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SOURCE PolyBio Research Foundation