Pain Researchers Bring us One Step Closer to Understanding How to Treat COVID-19
As COVID-19 continues to make its way around the world, causing death along its destructive path, there are many researchers trying to find answers. Behind the scenes, there are many people in the science and medical fields who are conducting research to try to find the best ways to help treat patients whose cases become severe. Pain researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have helped shed some light on what may help the virus spread so quickly in patients’ lungs.
Research study published in the June 2020 issue of the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
The study they conducted looked at what the potential drivers of the neurogenic pulmonary dysfunction may be in a COVID-19 patient who become severely ill.
Understanding COVID-19
The team of pain researchers looked at a potential strategy for countering the pattern of how the virus accelerates in the lungs, thus giving us a better understanding Covid-19. Citing that the virus could originate with the nervous system, their findings help to identify interactions that take place between the nerves in the lungs and the immune system. They also used that information to try to determine what causes the rapid deterioration in those patients who have COVID-19.
Patients who have severe cases of COVID-19 have major inflammation that starts in the lungs, and then progresses to affecting the rest of the body. Patients who become severely ill tend to suffer from Acute Respiratory Syndrome (ARS), which is when fluid builds up in the lungs on the tiny elastic air sacs. This keeps the lungs from being able to get enough air, which goes on to deprive the organs from getting enough oxygen.
More about the study
Their study uses a prediction model to identify the relevant receptor signaling that is taking place between the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid and human sensory neurons. They found ligand-receptor interactions in the lung caused by COVID-19. Using those findings, they found potential to intervene in an effort to reduce the neurogenic inflammation in those patients with the virus.
This is good news when it comes to finding ways to treat the most severe cases of COVID-19. It provides promise in that there may be some drugs that can be used to combat the interaction, thus keeping patients from becoming severely ill. The drugs may be able to block the neurogenic inflammation, thus keeping cases from becoming severe.
Source:
- Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. A pharmacological interactome between COVID-19 patient samples and human sensory neurons reveals potential drivers of neurogenic pulmonary dysfunction. June 2020. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088915912030670X?via%3Dihub
