Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

December 18, 2020

The S1 Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Crosses the Blood–Brain Barrier in Mice

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  • Using a mouse experimental model, intravenously injected SARS-CoV-2 spike protein subunit S1 was found to readily cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and enter the parenchymal brain space, and was also taken up by the lungs, spleen, kidney, and liver. Intranasally administered S1 also entered the brain, although at levels roughly ten times lower than after intravenous administration. Mechanistic studies indicated that injected S1 crosses the blood–brain barrier by adsorptive transcytosis and that ACE2 was involved in brain and lung uptake, but not in kidney, liver or spleen uptake. The authors conclude that the widespread entry of S1 into brain could explain the diverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 such as encephalitis, respiratory difficulties, and loss of sense of smell.

Rhea et al. (Dec 16, 2020). The S1 Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Crosses the Blood–Brain Barrier in Mice. Nature Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-020-00771-8