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Current Treatment Options in Neurology
Published in: Current Treatment Options in Neurology 11/2020

01-11-2020 | Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus | Reflections from the COVID Pandemic (A Iranzo and M Rosenfeld, Section Editors)

Unraveling the Possible Routes of SARS-COV-2 Invasion into the Central Nervous System

Authors: Maria Lima, MD, Vasileios Siokas, MD, PhD, Athina-Maria Aloizou, MD, Ioannis Liampas, MD, MSc, Alexios-Fotios A. Mentis, MD, PhD, PMC, MPH, Zisis Tsouris, MD, MSc, Anastasios Papadimitriou, MD, Panayiotis D. Mitsias, MD, PhD, Aristidis Tsatsakis, PhD, DSc, Dimitrios P. Bogdanos, MBA, MD, PhD, Stavros J. Baloyannis, MD, PhD, Efthimios Dardiotis, MD, PhD

Published in: Current Treatment Options in Neurology | Issue 11/2020

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

To describe the possible neuroinvasion pathways of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the Coronavirus disease-19 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Recent Findings

We present data regarding the family of Coronaviruses (CoVs) and the central nervous system (CNS), and describe parallels between SARS-CoV-2 and other members of the family, which have been investigated in more depth and combine these findings with the recent advancements regarding SARS-CoV-2.

Summary

SARS-CoV-2 like other CoVs is neuroinvasive, neurotropic and neurovirulent. Two main pathways of CNS penetration seem to be the strongest candidates, the hematogenous and the neuronal. Τhe olfactory route in particular appears to play a significant role in neuroinvasion of coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2, as well. However, existing data suggest that other routes, involving the nasal epithelium in general, lymphatic tissue and the CSF may also play roles in SARS-CoV-2 invasion into the CNS.
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Metadata
Title
Unraveling the Possible Routes of SARS-COV-2 Invasion into the Central Nervous System
Authors
Maria Lima, MD
Vasileios Siokas, MD, PhD
Athina-Maria Aloizou, MD
Ioannis Liampas, MD, MSc
Alexios-Fotios A. Mentis, MD, PhD, PMC, MPH
Zisis Tsouris, MD, MSc
Anastasios Papadimitriou, MD
Panayiotis D. Mitsias, MD, PhD
Aristidis Tsatsakis, PhD, DSc
Dimitrios P. Bogdanos, MBA, MD, PhD
Stavros J. Baloyannis, MD, PhD
Efthimios Dardiotis, MD, PhD
Publication date
01-11-2020
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Treatment Options in Neurology / Issue 11/2020
Print ISSN: 1092-8480
Electronic ISSN: 1534-3138
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-020-00647-z