SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 display limited neuronal infection and lack the ability to transmit within synaptically connected axons in stem cell –derived human neurons

In this study, we examined the infectivity and trans-synaptic transmission potential of the sarbecoviruses SARS and SARS-CoV-2 in human stem cell –derived neural model systems. We demonstrated limited ability of sarbecoviruses to infect and replicate in human stem cell–derived neurons. Furthermore, we demonstrated an inability of sarbecoviruses to transmit between synaptically connected human stem cell–derived neurons. Finally, we deter mined an absence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in olfactory neurons in experimentally infected ferrets. Collectively, this study indicates that sarbecoviruses exhibit low potential to infect human stem cell–derived neurons, lack an ability to infect ferret olfactory neurons, and lack an inbuilt molecula r mechanism to utilise retrograde axonal trafficking and trans-synaptic transmission to spread within the human nervous system.
Source: Journal of NeuroVirology - Category: Neurology Source Type: research