The discovery identified a potential future risk for neurodegenerative conditions in people who've had Covid-19, but also a possible treatment.
According to recent research led by the University of Queensland (UQ), Covid-19 activates the same inflammatory response in the brain as Parkinson's disease.
The discovery identified a potential future risk for neurodegenerative conditions in people who've had Covid-19, but also a possible treatment.
The team grew human microglia in the laboratory and infected the cells with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
"We found the cells effectively became 'angry', activating the same pathway that Parkinson's and Alzheimer's proteins can activate in disease, the inflammasomes," Woodruff added.
He further said: "So if someone is already predisposed to Parkinson's, having Covid-19 could be like pouring more fuel on that 'fire' in the brain."
He noted: "It's kind of a silent killer because you don't see any outward symptoms for many years.
It may explain why some people who've had Covid-19 are more vulnerable to developing neurological symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease."
Dr. Balmaceda said: "We found it successfully blocked the inflammatory pathway activated by Covid-19, essentially putting out the fire."
The drug reduced inflammation in both COVID-19-infected mice and the microglia cells from humans, suggesting a possible treatment approach to prevent neuro-degeneration in the future.
Woodruff said: "Further research is needed, but this is potentially a new approach to treating a virus that could otherwise have untold long-term health ramifications."
