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Covid virus changes sperm in mice, may raise anxiety in offspring: study
The Florey Institute study found paternal COVID-19 infection altered sperm RNA and increased anxiety behaviors in all offspring, suggesting potential long-term generational effects.
- Paternal SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly alters anxiety-like behavior in offspring, according to the study.
- Offspring from COVID-19-affected fathers showed increased anxious behaviors compared to those from uninfected fathers.
- The study reveals that female offspring had significant changes in gene activity in their hippocampus, which is important for anxiety and depression.
- These findings suggest lasting impacts of COVID-19 on future generations, potentially affecting millions of children globally.
85 Articles
85 Articles
COVID-19 Can Alter Sperm And Affect Brain Development In Offspring, Causing Anxious Behavior
The effects of a COVID-19 infection can sometimes persist for months or years after the initial symptoms have gone, but could some of the impact even be transferred to the next generation? Scientists studying male mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 discovered that it could alter their sperm, leading to behavioral changes in their offspring. It remains to be seen whether the same is true in humans.
Times of India
The Economic TimesCOVID-19 may alter offspring's brain development, cause anxious behaviour, study in mice finds
A new study suggests COVID-19 may impact future generations. Male mice infected with the virus produced offspring exhibiting increased anxiety-like behaviors. Researchers found changes in sperm RNA molecules linked to brain development. These findings, if confirmed in humans, could have significant public health implications for children born after parental infection.
COVID 19 Infection Before Conception Can Affect Offspring’s Brain and Behavior
SARS-CoV-19. Credit: Rawpixel Ltd CC BY 2.0 / Flickr Researchers at the Florey Institute in Australia have discovered that a father’s COVID 19 infection before conception may affect the brain development and behavior of his offspring. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause molecular changes in sperm that are later passed on to the next generation. Lead researcher Professor Anthony Hannan said the…
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