Researchers from our partner IRTA-CReSA have published a study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology that strengthens the hypothesis that long COVID with neurocognitive symptoms may be driven by an abnormal and persistent immune response, rather than by an active viral infection in the brain.
These findings provide a valuable tool for better understanding the biological mechanisms underlying long COVID, identifying potential biomarkers of the disease, and evaluating future treatments before moving into human clinical trials.
The study is particularly significant because it is the first to use such a low dose of SARS-CoV-2 to infect transgenic mice that are highly susceptible to the virus. This approach allowed researchers to monitor the animals over a much longer period. Carla Ruiz-Casas, the study’s first author, highlighted the variability observed among individuals: “We found that the response is highly heterogeneous and that there are clear differences between animals. In some cases, we observed long-term effects in mice that are similar to those described in people with long COVID.” The research also revealed differences between male and female mice in their long-term response to infection.
Another key finding is that no virus was detected in the brains of the animals during the late stage of the disease. More broadly, the study highlights how research in animal health can advance our understanding of human diseases, illustrating the value of the One Health approach.
