# Deciphering the Link between Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 Infection and Long-Term Neurological and Pulmonary Sequelae

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2022 · $1,158,123

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Many lung diseases, including asthma, are associated with neurological symptoms such as stress, anxiety
and depression. Joining this list is COVID19, where the growing list of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2
infection (PASC) includes anxiety and depression. Whether and how respiratory infection by SARS-CoV-2
could impact neurological state is not understood. In this supplement, we will continue the theme of the parent
award to dissect the functional and neuroanatomical connections between the brain and lung at the molecular
and cellular level. We will test the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection, acting through chronic
changes in lung and the lung-innervating neural circuit, alters neuronal activity and neural inflammation,
leading to heightened stress, anxiety and depression. We will use humanized mouse models for SARS-CoV-2
infection to test if respiratory infection alters central nervous system neuronal activity, neural inflammation,
gene expression and behavioral changes in the chronic phase of infection (aim 1). We will also use single cell
multiome and spatial transcriptomic technologies to define the transcriptomic and epigenomic signature of the
human donor lungs in the chronic phase following SARS-CoV-2 infection (aim 2). We anticipate that a
comprehensive profile of the brain, the lung, and their connection in the chronic phase of SARS-CoV-2
infection will deepen understanding and inform control of PASC.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10555082
- **Project number:** 3R01AT011676-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Zea Borok
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,158,123
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-07-31 → 2024-07-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10555082

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10555082, Deciphering the Link between Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 Infection and Long-Term Neurological and Pulmonary Sequelae (3R01AT011676-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10555082. Licensed CC0.

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