ArticleScientific reports2022
SARS-CoV-2 can infect human embryos.
Article in Scientific reports, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- COVID-19 in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis on the risk and prevalence of pregnancy loss.Human reproduction update · 2024Pooled it
- Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on clinical outcomes ofFrontiers in endocrinology · 2023Pooled it
- The association between early pregnancy infection with SARS-CoV-2 and fetal birth defects: a prospective study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- COVID-19 and female reproductive health: pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical reproductive outcomes.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- The influence of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein exposure on retinal development in the human retinal organoids.Cell & bioscience · 2025Article
- Effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during IVF treatment on embryo morphokinetics and pregnancy outcomes after fresh transfer: a prospective cohort study.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2025Article
- Environmental Stress-Induced Alterations in Embryo Developmental Morphokinetics.Journal of xenobiotics · 2024Review
- SARS-CoV-2 infection is detrimental to pregnancy outcomes after embryo transfer in IVF/ICSI: a prospective cohort study.BMC medicine · 2024Article
- The Effect of COVID-19 Severity, Associated Serum Autoantibodies and Time Interval after the Disease on the Outcomes of Fresh Oocyte ART Cycles in Non-Vaccinated Patients.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- SARS-CoV-2, fertility and assisted reproduction.Human reproduction update · 2023Review
- Effect of prior female SARS-CoV-2 infection on IVF outcomes: a prospective cohort study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The spread of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a devastating pandemic, with infections resulting in a range of symptoms collectively known as COVID-19. The full repertoire of human tissues and organs susceptible to infection is an area of active investigation, and some studies have implicated the reproductive system. The effects of COVID-19 on human reproduction remain poorly understood, and particularly the impact on early embryogenesis and establishment of a pregnancy are not known. In this work, we explore the susceptibility of early human embryos to SARS-CoV-2 infection. By using RNA-seq and immunofluorescence, we note that ACE2 and TMPRSS2, two canonical cell entry factors for SARS-CoV-2, are co-expressed in cells of the trophectoderm in blastocyst-stage preimplantation embryos. For the purpose of viral entry studies, we used fluorescent reporter virions pseudotyped with Spike (S) glycoprotein from SARS-CoV-2, and we observe robust infection of trophectoderm cells. This permissiveness could be attenuated with blocking antibodies targeting S or ACE2. When exposing human blastocysts to the live, fully infectious SARS-CoV-2, we detected cases of infection that compromised embryo health. Therefore, we identify a new human target tissue for SARS-CoV-2 with potential medical implications for reproductive health during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.