New research hints at possible connection between Covid-19 virus and Parkinson's disease

It seems that the list of the side effects of the Covid-19 virus is neverending.

New research indicates that the Covid-19 virus activates the same inflammatory response in the brain as Parkinson’s disease. People with neurodegenerative conditions might be even more vulnerable to the virus.

A research team based at the University of Queensland examined the effect of the virus on microglia or the immune cells of the brain. These cells play a key role in the progression of brain diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s.


The team grew microglia in the laboratory and infected the cells with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The result? The cells apparently “became angry, activating the same pathway that Parkinson's and Alzheimer's proteins can activate in disease, the inflammasomes,” said Trent Woodruff, co-author, and professor of pharmacology at the University of Queensland.

A paper was published by the team in Nature’s Molecular Psychiatry journal. The paper claimed that the Covid-19 virus had a “spike protein” which somehow “triggered the inflammasome pathway” and led to the systematic destruction of neurons - the fundamental units of the brain as well as the nerve system.

"So if someone is already predisposed to Parkinson's, having COVID-19 could be like pouring more fuel on that 'fire' in the brain," explained Woodruff.

Dr. Eduardo Albornoz Balmaceda from UQ's School of Biomedical Sciences, who also took part in the research project that explored the possible connection between the virus and Parkinson's disease, cautioned that many people will not even be able to spot any obvious symptoms. “It's kind of a silent killer because you don't see any outward symptoms for many years," he warned.

A Ray Of Hope For Covid Patients With Parkinson’s?

However, not all hope is lost for Covid-19 patients who have underlying neurodegenerative conditions. The researchers have managed to develop some inhibitory drugs, which are currently in clinical trials, for patients suffering from Parkinson's. The drug reportedly reduced inflammation in both mice diagnosed with Covid-19 and microglia cells from humans. This indicates that the drug can slow down the neurodegeneration process in the future. "We found it successfully blocked the inflammatory pathway activated by Covid-19, essentially putting out the fire," Dr. Balmaceda said.

Woodruff revealed to the Xinhua News Agency that the Queensland research team plans to induce experimental Parkinson’s disease in the mice, to see if they recover from the infection.

People who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease have to take extra caution to ensure they don’t fall prey to the Covid-19 virus. Here’s how you can protect yourself from Covid-19:

• Wash your hands frequently
• Don’t touch your face
• Be more rigid about social distancing
• Avoid shaking hands
• Avoid crowds