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Business Standard
39 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Long-Covid, viruses: New research looks for links to chronic fatigue
Millions of people who recover from infections like Covid-19, influenza and glandular fever are affected by long-lasting symptoms. These include chronic fatigue, brain fog, exercise intolerance, dizziness, muscle or joint pain and gut problems. And many of these symptoms worsen after exercise, a phenomenon known as post-exertional malaise. Medically the symptoms are known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The World Health Organization classifies this as a post viral fatigue syndrome, and it is recognised by both the WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a brain disorder. Experiencing illness long after contracting an infection is not new, as patients have reported these symptoms for decades. But Covid-19 has amplified the problem worldwide. Nearly half of people with ongoing post-Covid symptoms – a condition known as long-Covid– now meet the criteria for ME/CFS. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, it is estimated that more than 400 million people have developed long-Covid. To date, no widely accepted and testable mechanism has fully explained the biological processes underlying long-Covid and ME/CFS. Our work offers a new perspective that may help close this gap. Our research group studies blood and the cardiovascular system in inflammatory diseases, as well as post-viral conditions. We focus on coagulation, inflammation and endothelial cells. Endothelial cells make up the inner layer of blood vessels and serve many important functions, like regulating blood clotting, blood vessel dilation and constriction, and inflammation. Our latest review aims to explain how ME/CFS and long-Covid start and progress, and how symptoms show up in the body and its systems. By pinpointing and explaining the underlying disease mechanisms, we can pave the way for better clinical tools to diagnose and treat people living with ME/CFS and long-Covid. What is endothelial senescence? In our review, our international team proposes that certain viruses drive endothelial cells into a half-alive, 'zombie-like' state called cellular senescence. Senescent endothelial cells stop dividing, but continue to release molecules that awaken and confuse the immune system. This prompts the blood to form clots and, at the same time, prevent clot breakdown, which could lead to the constriction of blood vessels and limited blood flow. By placing 'zombie' blood-vessel cells at the centre of these post-viral diseases, our hypothesis weaves together microclots, oxygen debt (the extra oxygen your body needs after strenuous exercise to restore balance), brain-fog, dizziness, gut leakiness (a digestive condition where the intestinal lining allows toxins into the bloodstream) and immune dysfunction into a single, testable narrative. From acute viral infection to 'zombie' vessels Viruses like SARS-CoV-2, Epstein–Barr virus, HHV-6, influenza A, and enteroviruses (a group of viruses that cause a number of infectious illnesses which are usually mild) can all infect endothelial cells. They enable a direct attack on the cells that line the inside of blood vessels. Some of these viruses have been shown to trigger endothelial senescence. Multiple studies show that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes Covid-19 disease) has the ability to induce senescence in a variety of cell types, including endothelial cells. Viral proteins from SARS-CoV-2, for example, sabotage DNA-repair pathways and push the host cell towards a senescent state, while senescent cells in turn become even more susceptible to viral entry. This reciprocity helps explain why different pathogens can result in the same chronic illness. Influenza A, too, has shown the ability to drive endothelial cells into a senescent, zombie-like state. What we think is happening We propose that when blood-vessel cells turn into 'zombies', they pump out substances that make blood thicker and prone to forming tiny clots. These clots slow down circulation, so less oxygen reaches muscles and organs. This is one reason people feel drained. During exercise, the problem worsens. Instead of the vessels relaxing to allow adequate bloodflow, they tighten further. This means that muscles are starved of oxygen and patients experience a crash the day after exercise. In the brain, the same faulty cells let blood flow drop and leak, bringing on brain fog and dizziness. In the gut, they weaken the lining, allowing bits of bacteria to slip into the bloodstream and trigger more inflammation. Because blood vessels reach every corner of the body, even scattered patches of these 'zombie' cells found in the blood vessels can create the mix of symptoms seen in long-Covid and ME/CFS. Immune exhaustion locks in the damage Some parts of the immune system kill senescent cells. They are natural-killer cells, macrophages and complement proteins, which are immune molecules capable of tagging and killing pathogens. But long-Covid and ME/CFS frequently have impaired natural-killer cell function, sluggish macrophages and complement dysfunction. Senescent endothelial cells may also send out a chemical signal to repel immune attack. So the 'zombie cells' actively evade the immune system. This creates a self-sustaining loop of vascular and immune dysfunction, where senescent endothelial cells persist. In a healthy person with an optimally functioning immune system, these senescent endothelial cells will normally be cleared. But there is significant immune dysfunction in ME/CFS and long-Covid, and this may enable the 'zombie cells' to survive and the disease to progress. Where the research goes next There is a registered clinical trial in the US that is investigating senescence in long-Covid. Our consortium is testing new ways to spot signs of ageing in the cells that line our blood vessels. First, we expose healthy endothelial cells in the lab to blood from patients to see whether it pushes the cells into a senescent, or 'zombie,' state. At the same time, we are trialling non-invasive imaging and fluorescent probes that could one day reveal these ageing cells inside the body. In selected cases, tissue biopsies may later confirm what the scans show. Together, these approaches aim to pinpoint how substances circulating in the blood drive cellular ageing and how that, in turn, fuels disease. Our aim is simple: find these ageing endothelial cells in real patients. Pinpointing them will inform the next round of clinical trials and open the door to therapies that target senescent cells directly, offering a route to healthier blood vessels and, ultimately, lighter disease loads.
The Print
a day ago
- The Print
COVID-19 pandemic may have aged your brain, even if you weren't infected, finds UK study
According to the researchers, however, these changes could be 'partially reversible' but the most significant aspect highlighted in the study was how much simply living through the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic affected brain health. Using brain scans from nearly 1,000 healthy adults from before and after the pandemic, researchers found signs of faster brain ageing, especially in older adults, men, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Of these samples, those who were infected with COVID-19 also showed some decline in thinking speed and flexibility. But overall, the pandemic's stress alone did shift brain structure in all individuals whose scans were reviewed. New Delhi: A new study from the University of Nottingham has found that just living through the COVID-19 pandemic may have aged people's brains faster, even if they never got infected with the virus itself. The peer-reviewed study was published on 22 July in the journal Nature Communications and is based on data from the UK Biobank Study. It's a powerful reminder that our environment matters for our brain's growth. Read more here. Also Read: A UK health study has collected a whopping 100,000 full-body scans, and Neanderthals had 'family recipes' Spiders originally came from the sea? Next, we might have evidence that spiders could have originally been sea creatures. At least that is what a new peer-reviewed study published in the journal Current Biology on 22 July suggests, after researchers closely examined a preserved fossil from half a billion years ago. The fossil is called Mollisonia symmetrica, and it has a nervous system very similar to that of modern-day arachnids like spiders and scorpions. Until now, scientists thought these creatures only evolved once their ancestors moved onto land 400 million years ago and have remained the same ever since. But this new study flips that theory on its head, quite literally. It cites evidence of the brain of the fossil Mollisonia, which shows a reversed organisation—a signature trait seen in today's arachnids. This arrangement may have given them faster reflexes, better control, and precision, which are all traits modern-day spiders use to hunt and weave webs. The fossil places Mollisonia as a close relative of modern arachnids, meaning these creatures might have started evolving in the ocean long before they crept onto land. Read more here. Scientists genome sequence 100-yr-old Spanish Flu virus A 100-year-old lung sample from Switzerland helped scientists decode the deadliest flu in human history. A new peer-reviewed study by researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich published in BMC Biology Journal on 1 July sequenced the genome of the 1918 'Spanish flu' virus. They used preserved tissue from a young patient who died during the pandemic's first wave in Switzerland. The Spanish flu that spread across Europe and Asia in the 1910s is said to have killed between 20-100 million people. By decoding the genome, scientists now have insights into how this flu had already adapted to humans early on. They found three key mutations in the genome—two which helped the virus evade the human immune system, and one which boosted its ability to infect human cells. What makes this study stand out is also how they conducted the study. In viral flus, the genetic information rests in the RNA, not the DNA. The RNA is very quick to degrade but these scientists developed a method to recover ancient viral RNA. This technique could open the door to learning more from historic outbreaks. Read more here. Arctic winter is melting, and researchers have noticed it A group of scientists led by Dr James Bradley from Queen Mary University, London, published a commentary in Nature Communications on 21 July talking about the 'shockingly warm' winter conditions in the Arctic. The team described how they had geared up for winter Arctic fieldwork in Svalbard, wearing layers of thermal clothing, only to find themselves drenched in rain, standing on bare grass, and working without even needing gloves in what is supposed to be the middle of winter in February 2025. Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago located where the Arctic Ocean converges with the Atlantic Ocean. In the commentary, they raised alarms about melted snow pools, blooming vegetation, and rain replacing snow in the Arctic Circle during winters. Svalbard is heating up six to seven times faster than the global average, and the Arctic winter is no longer reliably frozen, said the team. These conditions not only disrupted their research but also raised safety concerns, like how to retreat from polar bears without their snowmobiles working. The team warns that winter warming in the Arctic is not a fluke but rather the new norm. The message sent by the commentary is clear: climate policy needs to catch up, and fast. Read more here. Also Read: A fiery side-effect of melting glaciers & paging Dr Droid for gallbladder surgery
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
‘Grounded like Dhoni, driven to make a difference in my own small way'
— Shivam Kumar Sah Since childhood, I had this habit of breaking gadgets at home – not to destroy them, but to peek inside and understand how they worked. Compact Disc players, motors, toys – anything mechanical fascinated me. Maybe that curiosity was the earliest sign that I'd end up becoming an engineer. I used to watch the Discovery Channel, try building small things at home, and mess around with motors. The idea of engineering took root early. But the turning point came in Class 9, when my dad took me to the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati). It was love at first sight – the campus, the energy, the vibe. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be in an IIT. I began my Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) preparation in 2021, right in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdowns, after my Class 10 exams. Everything was online, and it was hard to stay motivated. Without physical classrooms or peer interaction, I couldn't measure where I stood. That lack of healthy competition made me complacent, and honestly, Class 11 just slipped by. Things changed in Class 12, when offline coaching resumed. Being surrounded by hardworking friends reminded me that I had to pull up my socks. I started staying longer at the coaching centre, studying with peers, and slowly, the rhythm returned. With a lot of effort, support from teachers, blessings from my parents, and God's grace — I made it. Not exactly the way I dreamed, but I ticked that first big box. I appeared for JEE Main and Advanced in 2023, securing an All India Rank of 13,846 at JEE Advanced. It was my first attempt. I initially got Industrial Chemistry at IIT BHU, but I later changed my branch in the first semester to Mechanical Engineering, which was much closer to my interests. My dream was, however, always to pursue Aerospace, but I am happy with Mechanical – it is still about building things, solving problems, and creating real-world systems. I stepped into IIT BHU Varanasi in 2023. My parents dropped me off at the hostel. I was emotional, even scared – but that changed in a few days. Because hostels are like a wild jungle full of fearless people. You meet all kinds – the kind you've never imagined, and yet, they feel like family so quickly. In the first month, we didn't study much. We just roamed every inch of the campus, laughed, got lost, found ourselves again, and discovered our own spaces. That's how adjusting became easy – because we were all new, all figuring things out together. Fests, events, and random conversations made friendships blossom. Mess food isn't like home-cooked food, of course. But eating it with your second family – your friends – slowly made it better. We used to joke, complain, experiment with snacks – that's how bonding happens. I love staying engaged, so I joined various clubs and cells. I got into the Robotics and Programming Clubs, and now I'm an active member of the Training and Placement Cell of IIT Banaras Hindu University (BHU). I believe in staying busy – when I'm idle, I feel unproductive. Taking responsibility, working with teams, building things – it keeps me motivated. Balancing academics and clubs wasn't too hard. I made it a point to attend classes regularly, which helped me understand concepts and reduce last-minute pressure. A few weeks before exams, I'd buckle down. The rest of the time? I'd be building bots, organising fests, or chilling with friends. IIT isn't just about studying. You really live life here. Every weekend brings something – a fest, a hackathon, a guest lecture. And, most importantly, you're surrounded by people who motivate you to do better – not by pushing you down, but by growing together. Being at IIT has transformed me. I used to depend on my mom for everything. Now I manage my own routine, my own mess, my own setbacks. I've developed a more serious, grounded perspective on life. And through it all, I still hold on to one of M S Dhoni's quotes that has stuck with me: 'I want to be remembered more as a good human being than a good cricketer.' That's how I want to live – not just as a good engineer, but as a good human being. I've learned that you don't need to be the best at everything, but you should always believe – till the very last second. That belief has carried me across the line more times than talent alone ever could. My days are a mix of classes, tea breaks at Limbdi Corner, samosa with friends, and long walks around the Vishwanath Temple. Sometimes we go to the ghats of Varanasi, especially at night – the spiritual energy of the city is unmatched. I spend time in club rooms, working on robotics projects or prepping for events. I love this hands-on energy – it keeps me grounded. The teachers at IIT BHU are incredible. They're helpful, responsive, and some of them treat you like family. I still remember going to a professor's home on Bihu – he was from Guwahati too, and that evening felt like a warm slice of home. We were treated to traditional food, laughter, and care – something I'll never forget. I manage my expenses through a mix of sources – I've won a few competitions, done an internship, and, of course, my parents support me monthly. I still love playing cricket, and nowadays I've developed a liking for late-night badminton sessions with friends. It's refreshing after a long day. And yes, I write poems. It's something that calms me. A private space where I can reflect, imagine, and express what I don't say out loud. I hope I keep writing as life goes on. Also, I have a strong interest in politics – who knows, maybe one day I'll explore that field too. After all, engineers have become politicians before. What I miss the most about Guwahati isn't just the food or the weather – it's the people. My parents, my school friends, my teachers, the entire environment. I miss those early morning cricket matches during vacations – playing with a carefree mind, without any worry about the future. To be honest, I'm still exploring. I'm deeply interested in the evolving field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and I hope to work in a space that blends AI and engineering to solve meaningful, real-world problems. But, more importantly, whatever I do, I want it to be connected to the common people. I strongly believe in giving back to society – whether it's through tech, service, or something else. I want to create something or contribute in a way that makes life a little better for someone else. And if life takes me in a different direction – maybe even into public service or politics – I won't mind, as long as it's driven by purpose. What matters most to me is being useful, staying grounded, and making a difference in my own small way. Mridusmita Deka covers education and has worked with the Careers360 previously. She is an alumnus of Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University. ... Read More
