A new study has discovered why short-lived lung infections, such as COVID-19, can lead to long-lasting lung damage. The study findings were published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Investigation’.
Strong comes after COVID-19
The deadliest time in a viral respiratory illness is sometimes actually after the virus is cleared from the body.
This is due to the destructive processes that are set in motion during the peak of an infection in the weeks after the defeat of the virus. Which causes organ damage that can cause chronic disease or even death.
ABOUT THE STUDY:
After an initial attack of COVID-19, for example, some people struggle with a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and shortness of breath. As well as signs of an ongoing lung disease.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found clues about how lung damage develops after a respiratory infection.
When studying mice, they found that the infection triggers the expression of a protein called IL-33. Which is necessary for lung stem cells to overgrow in the air spaces and increase mucus production and inflammation in the lung.
RESULTS:
The findings revealed possible intervention points to prevent chronic lung damage caused by viral infections.
“Vaccines, antivirals, and antibody therapies are helpful. But they are not a solution for people already on the path to progressive disease, ”said lead author Michael J. Holtzman, MD, Selma and Herman Seldin professor of medicine and a professor of cell biology and physiology.
“We have improved in the care of acute illness due to COVID-19. But what happens after the initial phase of the injury is still a major obstacle to a better result, ”continued Holtzman.
“At this point, we are also dealing with tens of millions of people who already had an infection, and a high percentage of them have a long-term illness, especially with respiratory symptoms. We don’t have a treatment that can correct the problem, “added Holtzman.
The case of children:
It has long been recognized that acute respiratory infections can lead to chronic lung disease.
Children hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus. For example, they are two to four times more likely to develop asthma that persists for long periods of time, perhaps even for a lifetime.
However, how exactly an acute respiratory infection triggers chronic disease is not fully understood. What makes it difficult to develop therapies to prevent or treat it.
This is how persistent lung disease develops after COVID-19
As part of this study, Holtzman and his colleagues, including first author Kangyun Wu, PhD, an instructor of medicine, studied mice infected with the Sendai virus.
Basal cells take over the small airways and air sacs, while AT2 cells remain confined to air sacs. Some of the new basal cells become mucus-producing cells, while others release molecules that recruit immune cells to the lungs.
What does this process result in?
Taken together, the process results in lungs with less air space, more mucus, and ongoing inflammation, which together interfere with breathing.
Other experiments showed that this process is dependent on the IL-33 protein. Under normal conditions, IL-33 increases in lung stem cell nuclei in response to stress or injury and helps the lung repair damaged barriers.
However, during and after infection, IL-33 can take on a more damaging role.
“The lung has a fairly stereotypical response to injury, including viral injury,” Holtzman said.
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