In a recent study posted to the Research Square preprint server, which is under consideration at Scientific Reports, a team of researchers developed a novel human Alveolar Epithelial Lentivirus immortalized (hAELVi) cell infection model to estimate the replication potential of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other respiratory viruses in the lower respiratory tract of humans.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the pandemic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is primarily regarded as a respiratory infection. Yet the virus has also become known for affecting other parts of the body in ways not as well understood, sometimes with longer-term consequences, such as heart arrhythmia, fatigue and "brain fog."
An interesting new study published on the bioRxiv preprint server describes a new platform that allows a high-throughput workflow to generate matched human lung buds in the tens of thousands. This allows researchers to study SARS-CoV-2 infection and therapeutics in lung tissue that mirrors the key aspects of human lung development.