Animal models to study the neurological manifestations of the post-COVID-19 condition
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Publication date
2023-08-24ISSN
0093-7355
Abstract
More than 40% of individuals infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have experienced
persistent or relapsing multi-systemic symptoms months after the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This
post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) has debilitating effects on the daily life of patients and encompasses a broad spectrum of
neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms including olfactory and gustative impairment, difficulty with concentration and
short-term memory, sleep disorders and depression. Animal models have been instrumental to understand acute COVID-19 and
validate prophylactic and therapeutic interventions. Similarly, studies post-viral clearance in hamsters, mice and nonhuman
primates inoculated with SARS-CoV-2 have been useful to unveil some of the aspects of PCC. Transcriptomic alterations in the
central nervous system, persistent activation of immune cells and impaired hippocampal neurogenesis seem to have a critical
role in the neurological manifestations observed in animal models infected with SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, the proinflammatory transcriptomic profile observed in the central nervous system of SARS-CoV-2-inoculated mice partially overlaps with the
pathological changes that affect microglia in humans during Alzheimer’s disease and aging, suggesting shared mechanisms
between these conditions. None of the currently available animal models fully replicates PCC in humans; therefore, multiple
models, together with the fine-tuning of experimental conditions, will probably be needed to understand the mechanisms of
PCC neurological symptoms. Moreover, given that the intrinsic characteristics of the new variants of concern and the immunological status of individuals might influence PCC manifestations, more studies are needed to explore the role of these factors
and their combinations in PCC, adding further complexity to the design of experimental models.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
619 - Veterinary science
Pages
9
Publisher
Nature Research
Is part of
Lab Animal
Citation
Usai, Carla, Lourdes Mateu, Christian Berthou, Júlia Vergara‐Alert, and Joaquím Segalés. 2023. “Animal Models to Study the Neurological Manifestations of the post-COVID-19 Condition.” Lab Animal 52 (9): 202–210. doi:10.1038/s41684-023-01231-z.
Grant agreement number
EC/HE/101057548/EU/Epigenetic regulation of host factors in viral infections/EPIVINF
Program
Sanitat Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2555]
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