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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.08.25.265561

SARS-CoV-2 infection of human iPSC-derived cardiac cells predicts novel cytopathic features in hearts of COVID-19 patients

Perez-Bermejo, J. A.·Kang, S. S.·Rockwood, S. J.·Simoneau, C. R.·Joy, D. A.·Ramadoss, G. N.·Silva, A. C.·Flanigan, W. R.·Li, H.·Nakamura, K.·Whitman, J. D.·Ott, M.·Conklin, B. R.·McDevitt, T. C.
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Abstract

Although COVID-19 causes cardiac dysfunction in up to 25% of patients, its pathogenesis remains unclear. Exposure of human iPSC-derived heart cells to SARS-CoV-2 revealed productive infection and robust transcriptomic and morphological signatures of damage, particularly in cardiomyocytes. Transcriptomic disruption of structural proteins corroborated adverse morphologic features, which included a distinct pattern of myofibrillar fragmentation and numerous iPSC-cardiomyocytes lacking nuclear DNA. Human autopsy specimens from COVID-19 patients displayed similar sarcomeric disruption, as well as cardiomyocytes without DNA staining. These striking cytopathic features provide new insights into SARS-CoV-2 induced cardiac damage, offer a platform for discovery of potential therapeutics, and raise serious concerns about the long-term consequences of COVID-19.

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Perez-Bermejo, J. A., Kang, S. S., Rockwood, S. J., Simoneau, C. R., Joy, D. A., Ramadoss, G. N., Silva, A. C., Flanigan, W. R., Li, H., Nakamura, K., Whitman, J. D., Ott, M., Conklin, B. R., McDevitt, T. C.. 2020-08-25. SARS-CoV-2 infection of human iPSC-derived cardiac cells predicts novel cytopathic features in hearts of COVID-19 patients. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.08.25.265561

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