Heart damage from COVID-19 likely the result of direct viral infection, not just inflammation

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-02-27 06:00

International

Human_Heart_and_Circulatory_System By Bryan Brandenburg - CC BY-SA 3.0

US scientists say heart damage associated with COVID-19 is caused by heart cells becoming infected with the virus, and not just by the body's inflammatory response to viral infection in other cells. They used models of the heart composed of human heart tissue to watch COVID-19's effects in heart cells. They say the virus infects heart cells directly, produces an inflammatory response in the cells, potentially causes problems with heart muscle contraction, and can also kill heart cells.

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Research American College of Cardiology, Web page The URL will go live after the embargo ends

Journal/
conference: JACC: Basic to Translational Science

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Washington University School of Medicine, USA

Funder: Supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL141086 to Dr. M.J. Greenberg; R01 HL138466, and R01 HL139714 to Dr. Lavine; 75N93019C00062, and R01 AI127828 to Dr. Diamond); Burroughs Welcome Fund (1014782 to Dr. Lavine); Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (HR001117S0019 to Dr. Diamond); the March of Dimes Foundation (FY18-BOC-430198 to Dr. M.J. Greenberg.); Foundation of Barnes-Jewish Hospital (8038–88 to Dr. Lavine.); and Children’s Discovery Institute of Washington University and St. Louis Children’s Hospital (CH-II-2017–628 to Dr. Lavine; PM-LI-2019-829 to Drs. Lavine and M.J. Greenberg.). Imaging was performed in the Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI) which is funded, in part by the Children’s Discovery Institute of Washington University and St. Louis Children’s Hospital (CDI-CORE-2015-505, CDI-CORE- 2019-813) and the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital (3770). Dr. Diamond is a consultant for Inbios, Eli Lilly, Vir Biotechnology, NGM Biopharmaceuticals; is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Moderna; and has received funding and unrelated sponsored research agreements from Moderna, Vir Biotechnology, and Emergent Bio- Solutions. Dr. Lavine is a member of the Medtronic: DT-PAS/APOGEE trial advisory board; and has received funding and unrelated sponsored research agreements from Amgen.

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