Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32876341›Full record

ArticleThe EMBO journal2020

SARS-CoV-2 targets neurons of 3D human brain organoids.

Anand Ramani, Lisa Müller, Philipp N Ostermann, Elke Gabriel, Pranty Abida-Islam, Andreas Müller-Schiffmann, Aruljothi Mariappan, Olivier Goureau, Henning Gruell, Andreas Walker and 13 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The EMBO journal, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 342 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
342citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
36.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

342 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 529 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Co-ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide/luteolin normalizes GABAClinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2023
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  20. Organoids: physiologically relevantJournal of virology · 2025
    Review

282 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

23 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Anand Ramani *Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2380-8649
Lisa Müller *Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0728-0012
Philipp N Ostermann *Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Elke GabrielInstitute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Pranty Abida-IslamInstitute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Andreas Müller-SchiffmannInstitute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Aruljothi MariappanInstitute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5286-9806
Olivier GoureauInstitut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France.
Henning GruellInstitute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0725-7138
Andreas WalkerInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Marcel AndréeInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Sandra HaukaInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Torsten HouwaartInstitute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Alexander DiltheyInstitute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Kai WohlgemuthDepartment of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-4092-0664
Heymut OmranDepartment of General Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0282-6765
Florian KleinInstitute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Dagmar WieczorekInstitute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Ortwin AdamsInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Jörg TimmInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Carsten KorthInstitute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Heiner SchaalInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-1636-4365
Jay GopalakrishnanInstitute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0639-8705
Düsseldorf University Hospital · DEUniversity Hospital Münster · DEUniversity of Cologne · DECentre National de la Recherche Scientifique · FR

Funding

Fritz Thyssen Stiftung (Fritz Thyssen Foundation) 10.17.2.018MNJuergen Manchot Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is a public health emergency. COVID-19 typically exhibits respiratory illness. Unexpectedly, emerging clinical reports indicate that neurological symptoms continue to rise, suggesting detrimental effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we show that a Düsseldorf isolate of SARS-CoV-2 enters 3D human brain organoids within 2 days of exposure. We identified that SARS-CoV-2 preferably targets neurons of brain organoids. Imaging neurons of organoids reveal that SARS-CoV-2 exposure is associated with altered distribution of Tau from axons to soma, hyperphosphorylation, and apparent neuronal death. Our studies, therefore, provide initial insights into the potential neurotoxic effect of SARS-CoV-2 and emphasize that brain organoids could model CNS pathologies of COVID-19.

Indexed as

AnimalsBetacoronavirusBrainCell DeathChlorocebus aethiopsHumansNervous System DiseasesNeuronsOrganoidsSARS-CoV-2tau ProteinsVero Cellstau Proteinsbrain organoidscell deathneuronsSARS-CoV-2Tau pathology

Identifiers

PMID32876341
PMCPMC7560208
OpenAlexW3081536095

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.