Human neural stem cells are susceptible to COVID virus variants

New research reveals human neural stem cells, responsible for brain and spinal cord formation, are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infections, including Omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2. Led by Professor Prue Talbot, the study found these cells were significantly more vulnerable than undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells to infection by SARS-CoV-2 spike pseudoparticles.

The susceptibility was consistent across the original viral spike and the two Omicron variants. Neural stem cells, emerging from the ectoderm, establish the foundation for the central nervous system, making early infection potentially severe, causing pregnancy loss, severe developmental abnormalities, or subtle changes later in life.

Such effects might only manifest years after birth. The findings, published in PLOS One, align with a health-record study linking maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection to increased neurodevelopmental diagnoses in children by age 3. Researchers discovered the Omicron pseudoparticles entered neural stem cells primarily via endocytosis, a process where cells engulf external material.

Blocking this pathway with filipin reduced viral entry by 75% to 85%. The research highlights the need for monitoring children exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in utero for potential central nervous system deficiencies. However, the study does not establish whether infection of neural stem cells by the pseudovirus directly causes neurological harm in human pregnancies, emphasizing the need for further research to understand potential effects on brain development.