Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41662529›Full record

ArticleProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2026

Coviretinopathy: COVID-19-induced VEGF-dependent retinopathy.

Xiaolu Wang, Xu Jing, Ziheng Guo, Siwen Long, Xiaoting Sun, Sofia Appelberg, Gerald M McInerney, Mikael Adner, Yihai Cao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Xiaolu WangDepartment of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-8089-6473
Xu JingDepartment of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.ORCID 0009-0009-4260-0374
Ziheng GuoDepartment of Pancreatic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.ORCID 0000-0002-2879-0214
Siwen LongDivision of Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.
Xiaoting SunSchool of Pharmaceutical Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
Sofia AppelbergDepartment of Microbiology, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Stockholm 171 82, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-7381-3606
Gerald M McInerneyDivision of Virology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.
Mikael AdnerExperimental Asthma and Allergy Research Unit, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.
Yihai CaoDepartment of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1308-0065

Funding

Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-Cardiovascular Health Engineering No. 2021-0923Horizon Europe grant-PERSEUS Action number: 101099423Karolinska Institute Foundation No. 2020-02080 No. 2018-00904Novo Nordisk Foundation No. 0078219 No. 0057158Strategic Research Areas (SFO)-Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Foundation No. 2-1329/2024Swedish Cancer Foundation No. 200734 No. 232684Swedish Research Council No. 2019-01502 No. 2020-06121 No.2020-03427Swedish Research Council-the National Natural Science Foundation of China joint grants No. 2021-06122
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

COVID-19 has been associated with high prevalences of retinal diseases in humans. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the COVID-19-associated retinopathy remains unknown. Here, we deployed a mouse COVID-19 model to investigate the causative link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and retinopathy development. Our data showed that COVID-19-induced pulmonary hypoxia triggered systemic hypoxia and markedly augmented VEGF expression levels in the retina and plasma. High VEGF levels altered vascular structures and functions in the retina, resulting in neovascularization, vascular disorganization, and increased leakiness. We deployed a terminology of coviretinopathy to accurately describe these COVID-19-induced pathological changes in the retina. Consequently, blocking VEGF by a specific neutralizing antibody (VEGF blockade) completely ablated the COVID-19-associated vascular changes in the retina. Together, these findings provide mechanistic insights into the COVID-19-associated retinopathy and propose a therapeutic paradigm for effective treatment of coviretinopathy.

Indexed as

COVID-19Retinal DiseasesVascular Endothelial Growth Factor AAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalHumansHypoxiaMiceMice, Inbred C57BLRetinaSARS-CoV-2Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Avascular endothelial growth factor A, mouseCOVID-19hypoxiaretinopathySARS-CoV-2VEGF

Identifiers

PMID41662529
PMCPMC12912978

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.