Fibrin is a fibrous protein which, together with platelets, forms a hemostatic plug or clot over a wound site.
Fibrin binds to proteins from the SARS-CoV-2 virus to form blood clots that are difficult to break down, the authors found. This clotting then drives the various inflammatory and neurological symptoms seen in COVID-19 and long COVID, the researchers found.Previous studies have theorized that blood clotting is a consequence of inflammation. However, the new Nature study, published on Wednesday, shows the reverse: that the clotting comes first.
"Our study is the first to report causality for fibrin as the root of inflammation and brain pathology after COVID infection," Katerina Akassoglou, senior author and professor of neurology at UCSF, told The Epoch Times on email.
By blocking fibrin using a novel antibody, the researchers were able to reduce clotting and neurological symptoms, offering a new potential therapeutic for patients.
Furthermore, the new study offers an explanation for the increase in cancers following COVID-19 infections. The researchers found that the abnormal clotting between COVID-19 spike proteins and fibrins reduces cancer-fighting immune cells known as natural killer (NK) cells.
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Related: August 28, 2024 study published in Nature