Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by In Situ Hybridization in Lung-Cancer Cells Metastatic to Brain and in Adjacent Brain Parenchyma.

The mechanisms by which severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may spread to the human brain are poorly understood, and the infection of cancer cells in the brain by SARS-CoV-2 in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients has been the subject of only one previous case report. Here, we report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by in situ hybridization in lung-cancer cells metastatic to the brain and adjacent brain parenchyma in a 63-year-old male patient with COVID-19. These findings suggest that metastatic tumors may transport the virus from other parts of the body to the brain or may break down the blood-brain barrier to allow for the virus to spread to the brain. These findings confirm and extend previous observations that cancer cells in the brain can become infected by SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19 and raise the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 can have a direct effect on cancer growth and outcome.

Host Molecules That Promote Pathophysiology of Ocular Herpes.

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is a human virus that causes lifelong infections in a large population worldwide. Recurrence of HSV-1 from latency in trigeminal ganglion (TG) is the trigger of the morbidities seen with this virus. In addition to causing fever blisters and cold sores, occasionally the virus can also cause corneal lesions resulting in blindness in untreated individuals. Several host cell proteins play important roles in HSV-1 infection of the eye. HSV-1 enters into the corneal epithelial cells via its interactions with cell surface receptors. In parallel, the Toll-like receptors sense viral invasion and activate defense mechanisms to fight the infection. New data shows that Optineurin, a host autophagy receptor is also activated to degrade viral particles. In contrast, activation of heparanase, a host enzyme, induces an immune-inflammatory response, which triggers pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic environment and ultimately results in many of the clinical features seen with HSV-1 infection of the cornea. Rarely, HSV-1 can also spread to the central nervous system causing serious diseases. In this review, we summarize the latest knowledge on host molecules that promote pathophysiological aspects of ocular herpes.