Researchers at the Center for Precision Disease Modeling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) determined how a specific protein in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 damages heart tissue. They then used a drug to reverse the toxic effects of the protein on the heart. Their finding was based on studies of Drosophila and mouse heart cells, and was published in Communications Biology. Compared to virus-uninfected people, people infected with COVID-19 have a significantly higher risk of developing myocardial inflammation, abnormal heart rhythm, blood clots, stroke, heart attack, and heart failure at least one year after infection. Although scientists have rapidly developed vaccines and drugs to reduce the severity of COVID-19 disease, these therapies do not protect the heart or other organs from damage that may be caused by even minor infections. “To treat patients for a long time, we must first understand the mechanisms that lead to disease. Our study suggests that individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins can cause significant damage to specific tissues of the body, similar to findings for other viruses such as HIV and Zika virus,” said Dr. Zhe Han, senior author, professor of medicine, and director of the Center for Precision […]
read more