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Oxford University Press - PMC COVID-19 Collection logoLink to Oxford University Press - PMC COVID-19 Collection
. 2021 Oct 15:jiab523. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab523

Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 replication in explant cultures of the human upper respiratory tract reveals broad tissue tropism of wild-type and B.1.1.7 variant viruses

Jessica Schulze 1,#, Christin Mache 1,#, Anita Balázs 2,3, Doris Frey 4, Daniela Niemeyer 5, Heidi Olze 6, Steffen Dommerich 6, Christian Drosten 5, Andreas C Hocke 4, Marcus A Mall 2,3, Stefan Hippenstiel 4, Thorsten Wolff 1,
PMCID: PMC8524635  PMID: 34651643

Abstract

The upper respiratory tract (URT) is the primary entry site for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses, but its involvement in viral amplification and pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Here we investigated primary nasal epithelial cultures, as well as vital explanted tissues to scrutinize the tropism of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the recently emerged B.1.1.7 variant. Our analyses revealed a widespread replication competence of SARS-CoV-2 in polarized nasal epithelium as well as in the examined URT and salivary gland tissues, which was also shared by the B.1.1.7 virus thereby highlighting the active role of these anatomic sites in COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Upper Respiratory Tract, Influenza, Variants of Concern


Articles from The Journal of Infectious Diseases are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

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