SARS-CoV-2 infection induces dopaminergic neuronal loss in midbrain organoids during short and prolonged cultures

Javier Jarazo, Eveline Santos Da Silva, Enrico Glaab, Danielle Perez Bercoff, Jens Christian Schwamborn

COVID-19 is mainly associated with patients presenting respiratory symptoms, although several reports showed that SARS-CoV-2 affects the nervous system. We evaluated the effects of the infection in prolonged culture of midbrain organoids, showing that the virus induces changes in gene expression, as well as fragmentation and loss of dopaminergic neurons. Complementing previous studies, these findings highlight the relevance of closely following the neurological long- term evolution of COVID-19 patients.