# Action of SARS CoV2 in Human Brain Cultures

> **NIH NIH RF1** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $542,592

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
There is emerging evidence that SARS-CoV2 or COVID19 gains entry into human brain cells leading to a
sequela of neurologic symptoms. There is concern that SARS-CoV2 may lead to neurotoxicity and that
neuronal death in the regions of the brain that control respiration and cardiac function may be a contributing
factor to the acute loss of cardio respiratory function and death. SARS-CoV2 could gain access to the brain by
several routes including through the nose, or neurons innervating infected lung tissue or through the cells lining
blood capillaries in the brain. COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell or taste often before the onset of
respiratory symptoms and a patient presented with Guillain-Barré syndrome before testing positive for SARS-
CoV2. It appears that at least 36% of COVID19 patients had neurologic manifestations including headache,
nausea, loss of consciousness, strokes, confusion, encephalitis, meningitis and seizures. These clinical
observations strongly indicate a role for SARS-CoV2 in the death of neurons and importantly the brain may be
one of the first tissues infected and affected. The actions of SARS-CoV2 on the different cells in the brain, as
well as the infectivity, tropism, and replication in brain cells is not yet known. In this application we propose to
evaluate: (1) The tropism and replication of SARS-CoV2 in human microglia, astrocytes, neurons, and
determine relative susceptibility? (2) The mechanisms of cellular injury and evaluate potential protective
approaches. (3) Determine the transcriptional responses to SARS CoV2 infection in human neurons,
astrocytes, and microglia at the single cell level to gain new insight into the differential response of brain cells
to SARS CoV2 to better understand the neural deficits the virus causes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10173327
- **Project number:** 3RF1AG059686-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** VALINA L. DAWSON
- **Activity code:** RF1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $542,592
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10173327

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10173327, Action of SARS CoV2 in Human Brain Cultures (3RF1AG059686-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10173327. Licensed CC0.

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