Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Aug 05, 2025 1 hour, 54 minutes ago
Medical News: COVID-19 Virus Tricks Body's Defense System Leading to Long Haul Symptoms
Researchers from Sapienza University of Rome in Italy and the University of Monastir in Tunisia have uncovered how the COVID-19 virus manipulates our body’s early warning system to cause both severe disease and long COVID. The study looked at pattern recognition receptors or PRRs—special proteins that act like immune “alarms” detecting viruses in the body.
COVID-19 Long Haul Triggered by Hijacked Immune Sensors
When a virus like SARS-CoV-2 enters the body, these receptors recognize its genetic material and trigger a rapid immune response, especially by releasing protective interferons. However, this
Medical News report reveals that the virus has evolved to trick or block these sensors, weakening the body's defense and in some cases causing excessive inflammation.
How the Virus Disrupts the Body’s Early Alarm System
The research team focused on Toll-like receptors (TLRs), RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), and DNA sensors like cGAS and STING. These play major roles in detecting the virus and starting immune reactions. The study found that while a mild activation of these receptors helps fight infection, too much activation leads to serious complications, including a dangerous immune overreaction known as a cytokine storm.
Some receptors, like TLR7, were found to be essential in early immune defenses, but mutations in these genes—especially in younger men—can result in more severe illness. The virus uses proteins such as ORF9b, M, and N to block the function of these receptors, silencing the alarm bells and helping the virus spread more easily.
Even more concerning, these disruptions don't just cause problems during the initial infection. They also play a key role in the persistence of long COVID, where symptoms linger for months or even years.
New Possibilities for COVID-19 Treatments
Interestingly, the researchers didn’t just identify problems. They also pointed to possible solutions. Some drugs known as PRR agonists could enhance the immune response when used early, while others—PRR antagonists—might help tone down dangerous inflammation in severe cases or long COVID. For instance, drugs that target TLR4 or STING pathways may help balance the immune system in different stages of the disease.
Conclusion
This groundbreaking study offers new insight into how SARS-CoV-2 manipulates our body’s immune system to cause both immediate illness and long-lasting effects. By understanding the dual role of immune receptors in defending the body and sometimes causing harm, scientists may be able to develop smarter treatments. These findings could guide future therapies and vaccines to better protect people from both acute COVID and the ongoing burden of long COVID.
The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being
peer reviewed.
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202507.2587/v1
For the latest on Long COVID, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/french-study-finds-that-covid-19-triggers-early-immune-chaos-in-blood-cells-causing-long-term-damage
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/immune-metabolic-triggers-behind-long-covid-in-children
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/how-sars-cov-2-evades-the-human-immune-system-in-its-evolutionary-journey
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