“So, if someone is already predisposed to Parkinson’s, having COVID-19 would be like pouring more fuel on that ‘fire’ in the brain,” Woodruff noted.
This same notion would also apply to individuals who are predisposed to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia that are linked to inflammasomes.
Thankfully, though, the study’s results were not all doom and gloom. Instead, the researchers also discovered a potential treatment for this neurodegenerative firestorm they unearthed.
After observing the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on human microglia, the team then administered an inhibitory drug that is currently undergoing clinical trials for Parkinson’s patients.
And amazingly, they found that the drug effectively blocked the COVID-19-created inflammatory pathway in both COVID-19-infected mice as well as the human microglia cells. So, the researchers believe this drug may be a viable treatment option that could help prevent future neurodegeneration.
“Further research is needed, but this is potentially a new approach to treating a virus that could otherwise have untold long-term health ramifications,” Woodruff said.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Molecular Psychiatry, visit the link here.
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