Intranasal infection by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants can induce inflammatory brain damage in newly weaned hamsters

Can Li; Wenchen Song; Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan; Yanxia Chen; Feifei Liu; Zhanhong Ye; Alvin Hiu-Chung Lam; Jianpiao Cai; Andrew Chak-Yiu Lee; Bosco Ho-Yin Wong; Hin Chu; David Christopher Lung; Siddharth Sridhar; Honglin Chen; Anna Jin-Xia Zhang; Kwok-Yung Yuen

doi:10.1080/22221751.2023.2207678

Intranasal infection by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants can induce inflammatory brain damage in newly weaned hamsters

Emerg Microbes Infect. 2023 Dec;12(1):2207678. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2023.2207678.

Authors

Can Li^{1

2}, Wenchen Song¹, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan^{1

2

3

4

5}, Yanxia Chen¹, Feifei Liu¹, Zhanhong Ye¹, Alvin Hiu-Chung Lam^{1

2}, Jianpiao Cai¹, Andrew Chak-Yiu Lee^{1

2}, Bosco Ho-Yin Wong^{1

2}, Hin Chu^{1

2

3}, David Christopher Lung^{6

7}, Siddharth Sridhar^{1

2

3

4}, Honglin Chen^{1

2}, Anna Jin-Xia Zhang^{1

2

3}, Kwok-Yung Yuen^{1

2

3

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
² Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Shatin, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
³ Department of Infectious Disease and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
⁴ Department of Microbiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
⁵ Academician Workstation of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University - The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Haikou, People's Republic of China.
⁶ Department of Pathology, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hongkong, People's Republic of China.
⁷ Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Hongkong, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Intranasal infection of newly-weaned Syrian hamsters by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants can lead to brain inflammation and neuron degeneration with detectable low level of viral load and sparse expression of viral nucleoprotein.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; SARS-coV-2; brain; newly-weaned hamster.

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain
COVID-19*
Cricetinae
Encephalitis*
Mesocricetus
SARS-CoV-2

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants

Grants and funding

This study was partly supported by funding from the Health and Medical Research Fund [grant number 20190572], the Food and Health Bureau, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Collaborative Research Fund [grant number C7060-21G] and Theme-Based Research Scheme [grant number T11-709/21-N], the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Health@InnoHK, Innovation and Technology Commission, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Consultancy Service for Enhancing Laboratory Surveillance of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Research Capability on Antimicrobial Resistance for Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government; the National Program on Key Research Project of China [grant number 2020YFA0707500], [grant number 2020YFA0707504]; Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen, China [grant number SZSM201911014]; the High Level-Hospital Program, Health Commission of Guangdong Province, China; Emergency Collaborative Project [grant number EKPG22-01] of Guangzhou Laboratory; Emergency COVID-19 Project [grant number 2021YFC0866100], Major Projects on Public Security, National Key Research and Development Program; the Research Project of Hainan Academician Innovation Platform [grant number YSPTZX202004]; the Hainan Talent Development Project [grant number SRC200003]; the University of Hong Kong Outstanding Young Researcher Award; and the University of Hong Kong Research Output Prize (Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine); and donations from the Shaw Foundation Hong Kong, Richard Yu and Carol Yu, Michael Seak-Kan Tong, May Tam Mak Mei Yin, Lee Wan Keung Charity Foundation Limited, Providence Foundation Limited (in memory of the late Lui Hac-Minh), Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, Hui Ming, Hui Hoy and Chow Sin Lan Charity Fund Limited, The Chen Wai Wai Vivien Foundation Limited, Chan Yin Chuen Memorial Charitable Foundation, Marina Man-Wai Lee, the Hong Kong Hainan Commercial Association South China Microbiology Research Fund, the Jessie and George Ho Charitable Foundation, Perfect Shape Medical Limited, Kai Chong Tong, Tse Kam Ming Laurence, Foo Oi Foundation Limited, Betty Hing-Chu Lee, Ping Cham So, and Lo Ying Shek Chi Wai Foundation. The funding sources had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or writing of the report.