April 8, 2024
A mouse sneezes after exposure to PLpro. Credit: MALI AND BAUTISTA/UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
New research from the lab of Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute member Diana Bautista shows that a protein from the virus that causes COVID-19, called PLpro, causes sneezing and pain by stimulating sensory neurons in airways. This is the first time that a viral protein has been shown to cause sneezing by directly activating neurons, and could potentially lead to new treatments. The study was led by Berkeley Neuroscience PhD student Sonali Mali.
Read the story in Science: https://www.science.org/content/article/why-does-covid-19-make-you-sneeze