SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in photoreceptor and retinal ganglion cells of human retinal organoids.
Stem Cell Reports
; 17(4): 789-803, 2022 04 12.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1815188
ABSTRACT
Several studies have pointed to retinal involvement in COVID-19, yet many questions remain regarding the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect and replicate in retinal cells and its effects on the retina. Here, we have used human pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoids to study retinal infection by SARS-CoV-2. Indeed, SARS-CoV-2 can infect and replicate in retinal organoids, as it is shown to infect different retinal lineages, such as retinal ganglion cells and photoreceptors. SARS-CoV-2 infection of retinal organoids also induces the expression of several inflammatory genes, such as interleukin 33, a gene associated with acute COVID-19 and retinal degeneration. Finally, we show that the use of antibodies to block ACE2 significantly reduces SARS-CoV-2 infection of retinal organoids, indicating that SARS-CoV-2 infects retinal cells in an ACE2-dependent manner. These results suggest a retinal involvement in COVID-19 and emphasize the need to monitor retinal pathologies as potential sequelae of "long COVID."
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Stem Cell Reports
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.stemcr.2022.02.015
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