TLDR Mice with a virus similar to COVID-19 had skin damage, but a special treatment helped repair it.
The study investigates dermatologic changes in mice infected with MHV-1, a model for long COVID. Acute infection led to epidermal destruction, increased hair follicles, collagen deposition, and sebaceous gland hyperplasia. Long-term effects included hair follicle loss, adipose tissue destruction, and further epidermal damage. Treatment with the synthetic peptide SPIKENET (SPK) demonstrated protective effects, restoring hair follicles, re-architecting skin layers, and repairing fatty tissue damage. The study involved 16 mice for acute phase observations and 6 mice for long-term and treatment evaluations. These results suggest SPK's potential as a therapeutic intervention for preventing long-term skin alterations caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Cited in this study
6 / 6 results
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