SARS-CoV-2 infects olfactory neurons and basal stem cells and induces axonal degeneration through TRPV1 activation.
Overview
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases & Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766-1854, USA
Abstract
Neurological complications such as anosmia are among the most frequent and persistent symptoms of COVID-19; yet, the mechanisms linking SARS-CoV-2 infection to sensory neuronal injury remain unclear. We demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 directly infects olfactory sensory neurons through ACE2 upregulation and stimulates basal stem cell proliferation, as shown in human iPSC-derived sensory neurons and validated in golden Syrian hamsters. Exposure to live viruses or its S1 spike protein induces TRPV1 channel redistribution from the nucleus to the plasma membrane, resulting in axonal degeneration. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing reveals activation of exocytosis and transmembrane transport pathways with disruption of axonal guidance networks. Pharmacological inhibition of TRPV1 with capsazepine mitigates neuronal injury and preserves axonal integrity. These findings identify TRPV1 activation as a central mediator of SARS-CoV-2-induced neurodegeneration in the olfactory epithelium and suggest that TRPV1 antagonism offers a promising therapeutic avenue for treating COVID-19-related anosmia.
Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.
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Data and code availability
• Single-cell RNA-seq data have been deposited at NCBI BioSample database and are publicly available as of the date of publication. The accession code is SAMN45884840, with the sample name SQ24076636-cellmix-cellm
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Version 1, 28 September 2026: the first record
Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 7 authors, 4 keywords, 1 funder, 37 references, 21 RRIDs.
Cite
This paper
Co, V. A., Liu, S., Tam, R. C.-Y., Mok, B. W.-Y., Lam, A. H.-C., Chen, H., & Hong, Y. (2026). SARS-CoV-2 infects olfactory neurons and basal stem cells and induces axonal degeneration through TRPV1 activation. iScience, 29(6), 116098. https://
BibTeX
@article{co2026sars,
author = {Co, Vanessa Anna and Liu, Siwen and Tam, Rachel Chun-Yee and Mok, Bobo Wing-Yee and Lam, Alvin Hiu-Chung and Chen, Honglin and Hong, Yiling},
title = {{SARS-CoV-2 infects olfactory neurons and basal stem cells and induces axonal degeneration through TRPV1 activation}},
journal = {iScience},
year = {2026},
month = may,
volume = {29},
number = {6},
pages = {116098},
publisher = {Elsevier},
issn = {2589-0042},
doi = {10.1016/
url = {https://
pmid = {42231970},
pmcid = {PMC13224126}
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
AU - Co, Vanessa Anna
AU - Liu, Siwen
AU - Tam, Rachel Chun-Yee
AU - Mok, Bobo Wing-Yee
AU - Lam, Alvin Hiu-Chung
AU - Chen, Honglin
AU - Hong, Yiling
TI - SARS-CoV-2 infects olfactory neurons and basal stem cells and induces axonal degeneration through TRPV1 activation
T2 - iScience
J2 - iScience
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/
VL - 29
IS - 6
SP - 116098
SN - 2589-0042
PB - Elsevier
DO - 10.1016/
UR - https://
LA - en
ER -
CSL-JSON
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"given": "Alvin Hiu-Chung"
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"given": "Yiling"
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"URL": "https://
"language": "en",
"issued": {
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