![Viewing the Early Stages of COVID-19 Infection]()
Little is known about the early stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A study by Ganjam V. Kalpana, Ph.D., Rajiv Pathak, Ph.D., and colleagues, published online on February 7 in Viruses, analyzed the replication of SARS-CoV-2 at very early time points.
The researchers for the first time detected viral RNA at high resolution. Thirty minutes after infection, using single-cell and single-molecule RNA-FISH plus single-molecule RNA-FISH with immunofluorescence, they identified single molecules of SARS-CoV-2 gRNA (which possesses all the genomic information needed for viral replication) in infected cells. Their research also provided evidence that the Omicron BA.1 strain of the virus replicates at a slower rate than the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. The study could lead to therapies that target the early stages of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Dr. Kalpana is professor of genetics and of microbiology & immunology, the Mark Trauner Faculty Scholar in Neuro-oncology at Einstein, and a member of the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Pathak, the first author, is a staff scientist in genetics at Einstein.
Posted on: Thursday, June 06, 2024