Brazilian study creates first public atlas of COVID-19-induced changes across multiple organs

Despite the official end of the pandemic, covid-19 remains a significant health concern. In Brazil alone, the virus claimed around 6,000 lives in 2024, emphasizing the need for continued vaccination efforts.

Recognizing that covid-19 affects multiple organs and that much remains unknown about the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2, a Brazilian study published in Scientific Reports (Nature) aimed to map the virus’s impact on human tissues. Researchers from Unicamp, the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), and other national institutions analyzed infection-induced changes at the protein level, creating a freely accessible digital atlas detailing affected proteins across nine distinct cell types.

Covid-19 Alters Proteins Across Multiple Organs

Although covid-19 primarily presents as a respiratory infection and can trigger a dangerous cytokine storm in severe cases, growing evidence has confirmed the

presence of SARS-CoV-2 in other tissues and bodily fluids. The virus has been detected in cardiac muscle, the central nervous system (CNS), kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract, and adipose tissue.

To explore these effects, researchers analyzed proteomic data from nine SARS-CoV-2-infected cell types: astrocytes and neurons; SH-SY5Y (a CNS cancer cell line) and intestinal epithelial cells; T lymphocytes and monocytes from the immune system; hepatocytes from the liver; and visceral and subcutaneous adipocytes (fat cells). The majority of these human-derived cell lines were developed in the lab from stem cells and were infected in vitro.

SARS-CoV-2’s Impact on the Central Nervous System

Proteomic analysis quantified a total of 3,098 proteins across the infected cells, with 1,652 showing altered regulation due to infection.

In the three CNS cell types analyzed, 810 proteins were affected, with nine of them consistently altered across all cell types. These proteins were primarily associated with translation machinery (protein synthesis) and energy metabolism, two essential pillars of neural cell function.

Changes in the Immune and Gastrointestinal Systems

Proteomic analysis of other cell types revealed further disruptions: 332 proteins were altered in intestinal epithelial cells and 343 in liver cells. Similarly, visceral and subcutaneous adipocytes showed 242 and 175 deregulated proteins, respectively, following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Within the immune system, 139 deregulated proteins were identified in T lymphocytes and 463 in monocytes, with 35 proteins shared between these immune cell types.

Building a Shared Proteomic Map

Based on these findings, researchers developed a comprehensive map detailing protein expression changes in each cell type. This dataset, known as the “SARS-CoV-2 Infectome Atlas,” is the first of its kind. The freely accessible platform will continue to be updated as new research emerges.

The atlas allows scientists to search for individual proteins and compare their normalized expression levels. This targeted approach may be particularly valuable for researchers working on vaccine updates or drug development for covid-19.

Advancing the Fight Against Covid-19

This study provides new insights into how SARS-CoV-2 disrupts cellular biochemical processes, paving the way for the development of integrated therapeutic targets. These could be used to treat covid-19 systemically or focus on specific tissues.

Moreover, by making the infectome dataset available online, researchers worldwide gain a powerful tool for investigating key proteins, potentially leading to more precise and effective covid-19 treatments.

Written by Maria Eduarda Ledo de Abreu.