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Project

What can olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 tell us about the mysteries of the sense of smell?

For many years, the human sense of smell was considered a “nonessential”
sense.
With olfactory dysfunction as a prominent and often sole symptom of
COrona Virus (SARS-CoV-2) Induced Disease (COVID-19), large
patient cohorts continue to experience the impact of postviral
olfactory dysfunction on their quality of life. Indirectly, the current
pandemic has renewed interest in the human sense of smell.
The mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 remain
entirely unknown.
We believe that a comprehensive histological and molecular
investigation of postmortem tissues of the olfactory system is
required to get insights into these mechanisms.
We propose an innovative study design to obtain bed-side, by an
endoscopic endonasal approach, high-quality tissue samples from
the human respiratory and olfactory system and adjacent brain
regions from deceased COVID-19 patients, influenza patients, and
controls.
We will perform immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization
staining with commercially available antibodies and RNAscope
probes for SARS-CoV-2 and markers of various cell types in the
respiratory and olfactory mucosa, the olfactory bulb, and adjacent
brain tissue.
We hope to achieve insights into (1) the pathophysiological
mechanisms of postviral olfactory dysfunction, (2) the possible
scenario of the olfactory pathway as entrance to the central nervous
system and (3) the immune response and regenerative capacity of
the olfactory mucosa upon viral invasion.

Date:1 Oct 2021 →  Today
Keywords:Post-viral olfactory dysfunction, COVID-19, central nervous system
Disciplines:Neurophysiology, Rhinology, Immunology not elsewhere classified, Neurosciences not elsewhere classified