The epithelial cells of the nose seem to react differently based on age: in children they would be able to mount a more effective and rapid response against the virus, compared to what happens in the elderly. This greater ease of entry by the virus could partly explain why children get sick more rarely or develop milder symptoms of Covid-19, compared to what happens in older adults.
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The answer to why i children they seem less exposed to the risk of getting sick from Covid-19 it could be in their nose. No joke. A group of researchers fromUniversity College London he observed how the epithelial cells of the nose of children are able to implement a more effective defense response than that observed in adults and elderly people.
The study, published in Nature Microbiology, aimed to understand why i symptoms that Covid-19 causes in children are generally very lighter of those that occur in adults and especially in the elderly. To do this, the researchers wanted to examine the effects of the virus on cells humans that are first reached by the virus, i.e. the epithelial ones of the nose. Epithelial cells are those that make up the surface of an organ or tissue.
How children’s nose cells react to the virus
The researchers were able to work on samples of epithelial cells from healthy donors of different ages, children (0-11 years), adults (30-50 years) and for the first time also of elderly people (over 70 years). These cells were then cultured and then infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virusso as to replicate in the laboratory how the epithelial cells of the nose react to the infection and observe any differences based on age.
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In children, the epithelial cells of the nose reacted effectively and rapidly, increasing the production of interferons, i.e. those proteins that cells produce as a first response to an external stimulus. These in fact represent the first “defense weapon” in case of viral infections. This prompt reaction has proven effective in reducing virus replication. The observed effect could therefore explain the greater resistance of children to the virus and the fact that in most cases the latter, even with an infection, determines a mild picture, certainly much more than that reported in elderly subjects.
The differences compared to the elderly
In addition to being relevant in an absolute sense, this data is also interesting in comparison with the reaction of epithelial cells to the virus in adults and the elderly. The researchers have in fact seen that the answer of these cells to the pathogen decreases as we ageallowing the virus to replicate faster.
Not only that, in the epithelial cells of the nose of adults and the elderly, the researchers observed a greater cellular damage due to infection. These two factors could partly explain why Covid-19 can cause more severe symptoms as people age. The discovery – explain the researchers – could be the starting point for the identification of targeted therapies based on the age of the patients.
