1Cademy - What mechanistic hypotheses can explain the specific impact of SARS-CoV-2 on taste function?

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What mechanistic hypotheses can explain the specific impact of SARS-CoV-2 on taste function?

taste and chemesthesis may be disturbed independently of smell in COVID-19 patients
individual TRCs are constantly being renewed by stem cells, and thus taste function and perception also depend on rapid and reliable production of the proper proportions of each of the different TRCs
taste dysfunction in COVID-19 patients may be caused or exacerbated by insufficient TRC renewal due to SARS-CoV-2 stem cell damage.
ACE2 is expressed by sour-sensing type III TRCs, thus could be invade by SARS-CoV-2
the loss of support cells could lead to taste bud collapse via cell death and/ or reduced efficacy of taste signals to gustatory nerves
local inflammatory processes could therefore alter stem cell properties and ultimately influence taste perception

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Updated 2020-07-30

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