Toll-like receptor 4 mediates SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein long-term memory impairment

Although initially described as a respiratory disease, the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is now recognized to affect multiple organs, including the brain. Regarding the latter, several reports pointed out that SARS-CoV-2 (etiological agent of COVID-19) infection may predispose to develop neuropsychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment. In this direction, our lab has made efforts in order to better understand the long-term effects induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the main protein involved in viral infection, in the brain. We observed that intracerebroventricular administration of Spike protein induces long-term memory impairment, accompanied by microgliosis, synapse losses through microglial pruning and neuroinflammation.