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Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have uncovered potential links between COVID-19 and vision damage, shedding light on the virus's ability to breach the protective blood-retinal barrier, which may have long-term consequences for ocular health.

Led by Pawan Kumar Singh, Ph.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology, the research team explored the effects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, on the eyes using a humanized ACE2 mice model.

Contrary to previous assumptions that the virus primarily affects the ocular surface, the study revealed that SARS-CoV-2 can infiltrate the eyes even when not introduced through direct ocular exposure.

Their findings indicate that when the virus enters the body through inhalation, it not only targets organs such as the lungs but also breaches the formidable blood-retinal barrier, infecting the cells that line this protective barrier and reaching the eyes.

"Our findings reveal that SARS-CoV-2 not only reaches the eye during systemic infection but induces a hyperinflammatory response in the retina and causes cell death in the blood-retinal barrier," Singh explained, Neuroscience News reported.

" The longer viral remnants remain in the eye, the risk of damage to the retina and visual function increases."

The presence of viral remnants in the eye may trigger complications such as retinal microaneurysm, vascular occlusion, and leakage, posing risks to visual function.

Furthermore, Singh urged COVID-19 patients, including asymptomatic individuals, to undergo ocular examinations to detect potential pathological changes in the retina.

The study also highlighted the heightened risk of ocular complications in immunocompromised individuals or those with underlying health conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.

The research team's ultimate goal is to unravel the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the virus's ability to breach the blood-retinal barrier, with the aim of developing preventive and therapeutic strategies to mitigate COVID-19-induced eye complications and safeguard patients' vision.

Collaborating with Singh on this groundbreaking research were members of the University of Missouri School of Medicine, including Vaishnavi Balendiran, M.D., Monu Monu, Faraz Ahmad, and Rachel M. Olson, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at the Laboratory for Infectious Disease Research.