Review The Role Of Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19, 2024, Skok

The Role Of Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19
Skok

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 or Long COVID becomes evident some weeks to months following acute COVID-19. Symptoms include cognitive impairment and varying degrees of memory loss with no definitive etiologies or efficacious therapies forthcoming even after four years of the SARS-Cov2 pandemic virus.

The aim of this review is to demonstrate the important role of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in both acute COVID-19 and Long COVID. Evidence presented implicates immune mechanisms stimulated by SARS-Cov-2 S-protein fragment 674685 that possesses homology with α7-specific ligands. Cognitive dysfunctions observed in Long COVID patients may be derived from anti-idiotypic α7-specific antibodies stimulated by (674685)-specific antibodies. Therapeutic interventions capable of neutralizing these antibodies and restoring full functions of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors appear to be of paramount importance in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

Link | Paywall (The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology)

 

There may be some interesting points raised in this review but invoking anti-idiotypes is almost certainly invalid.

Years ago there was an idea (Jerne's theory) that anti-idiotype antibodies would mimic the original antigen. Basically if the antigen is key and an antibody a lock then an anti-antibody would look like a key again. But just like locks and keys it doesn't work like that because locks and keys are quite different in their shape otherwise. A lock cannot fit into another lock as a key.