Credit: Unsplash
Credit: Unsplash

SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus may infect intestinal cells

Embargoed until: Publicly released:
Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Experimental study: At least one thing in the experiment was changed to see if it had an impact on the subjects (often people or animals) – eg: changing the amount of time mice spend on an exercise wheel to find out what impact it has on weight loss.

People: This is a study based on research using people.

Cells: This is a study based on research in micro-organisms, cells, tissue, organs or non-human embryos.

A new study has found that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can infect intestinal cells grown in a laboratory. Scientists created miniaturised versions of both human and bat intestines as models to study the virus in more detail than is possible in human patients. Their tests found that the virus can replicate within these cells. The researchers also identified the virus in a stool sample from a female patient diagnosed with COVID-19, which suggests that her intestines may have been infected. It is not yet clear how intestinal infection may occur, and whether this contributes to viral transmission.

Journal/conference: Nature Medicine

Research: Paper

Organisation/s: University of Hong Kong, China

Funder: This work was partly supported by funding from the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Food and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Theme-based Research Scheme of the Research Grants Council; the High Level Hospital-Summit Program in Guangdong, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital.; and donations from the Shaw Foundation Hong Kong, May Tam Mak Mei Yin, Richard Yu and Carol Yu, Michael Seak-Kan Tong, the Respiratory Viral Research Foundation Limited, Hui Ming, Hui Hoy and the Chow Sin Lan Charity Fund Limited and the Chan Yin Chuen Memorial Charitable Foundation.

Media release

From: Springer Nature

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is capable of infecting human and bat intestinal organoids (miniaturized and simplified versions of the intestine produced in the laboratory), reports a study in Nature Medicine. The findings, which also include clinical isolation of the virus from a human stool sample, suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may be capable of infecting the human intestinal tract, in addition to the respiratory system.

Genetic analysis has revealed that SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to SARS-related coronaviruses found in horseshoe bats. However, the absence of laboratory models that can be used to study bat viruses limits study in this area. It is thought that bat organoids could potentially help in elucidating the origins of SARS-CoV-2.

Jie Zhou and colleagues report the creation of the first bat intestinal organoid. The organoid was derived from the horseshoe bat species Rhinolophus sinicus and simulates the cellular makeup of the intestinal epithelium. The authors then assessed whether the organoids were susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2 and found that they were capable of sustaining viral replication. The findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 can infect bat intestinal cells, and thus, recapitulate the natural infection in bat intestine

Zhou and co-authors also investigated whether human intestinal organoids were susceptible to the virus and observed that viral replication took place here too. They were also able to isolate SARS-CoV-2 from the stool specimen of a female patient diagnosed with COVID-19, which suggests that intestinal infection may have occurred.

The authors note that the precise route by which human intestinal infection may take place is unclear, but that this could represent an additional route of viral transmission.

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