Corona has been overcome, but even afterwards some people continue to suffer from mood swings and irritability. Scientists have now identified a possible reason for this.
Coronavirus infection can affect brain cells responsible for regulating our mood and movements.
Study shows: Corona inhibits the growth of the happiness hormone dopamine
The research results show that the coronavirus can attack cells that are responsible for the production of the so-called happiness hormone dopamine. These cells lose their ability to grow and divide and instead trigger inflammatory reactions and biological aging processes. These findings were presented in a study in the specialist magazine “Cell Stem Cell”.
An interdisciplinary team from Weill Cornell Medicine School, Columbia University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center conducted the study. The team used human cells grown in the laboratory and based their findings on autopsy samples from people previously infected with Corona. They found that around five percent of dopamine neurons can be infected by the virus.
Although this number seems small, especially compared to the rate of infection of lung cells, the virus’s main target, even that five percent could have a significant impact. Dr. Shuibing Chen, the study’s lead author, emphasizes that a low infection rate in dopamine neurons can still have serious consequences.
Medication can help
The results came as a surprise to the researchers. The team originally examined how different cell types in different organs respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including lung, heart and pancreatic cells. However, the effect was mainly seen in dopamine neurons.
These findings could offer new perspectives on the neurological symptoms of Long Covid patients. The researchers also discovered that certain drugs such as riluzole, metformin and imatinib could potentially protect against infection of dopamine neurons by the coronavirus.
This text from the Kölner Express was created with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and edited and checked by the editorial team (Nicola Pohl). You can find out more about the rules for dealing with AI here.