COVID-19 Infection in Fathers May Alter Offspring Brain Development and Increase Anxiety, Mouse Study Reveals

A study has discovered that COVID-19-induced changes in sperm could potentially impact offspring's brain development and induce anxiety-like behaviors in mice, suggesting possible transgenerational effects of the viral infection.

New Delhi:

Research conducted by Australia's Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health indicates that offspring conceived from fathers who previously had COVID-19 may experience altered brain development and exhibit increased anxiety behaviors. While these findings need human verification, they suggest the virus could have intergenerational impacts.

Elizabeth Kleeman, research officer and lead author of the study published in Nature Communications, explained their methodology: "We allowed male mice to recover from SARS-CoV-2 infection for several weeks before mating them with healthy females. The resulting offspring demonstrated notably higher anxiety behaviors compared to offspring from uninfected fathers."

All offspring from COVID-19-affected male mice consistently displayed heightened anxiety-like behaviors.

The researchers detailed their approach: "Using an established mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 preclinical model, we infected adult male mice with the virus, or performed a mock control infection, and bred them with naive female mice four weeks later, when males were no longer infectious. Here we show that offspring of infected sires display increased anxiety-like behaviours."

Lead researcher Anthony Hannan noted that previous research has shown that male mice exposed to adverse environmental and lifestyle factors before mating can alter brain development and behavior in their offspring.

"This occurs because the father's experiences can modify the information carried in sperm, particularly specific RNA molecules, which transmit developmental instructions to offspring," Hannan explained.

Analysis of RNA genetic material from infected fathers' sperm revealed altered molecules, including those involved in regulating genes critical for brain development.

The study found that female offspring mice exhibited significant changes in gene expression within the hippocampus region of the brain—an area crucial for regulating emotional responses such as anxiety and stress.

"These hippocampal changes, along with alterations in other brain regions, may contribute to the increased anxiety we observed in offspring through epigenetic inheritance and modified brain development," co-senior author Carolina Gubert stated.

Epigenetics describes how genes interact with environmental factors to produce observable behaviors.

Hannan emphasized that this groundbreaking study, if verified in humans, could have profound implications for millions of children and families worldwide, representing a significant public health concern.

"While additional research is necessary, particularly examining sperm and offspring of humans infected with SARS-CoV-2, these findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic might have enduring effects on future generations," the lead researcher cautioned.

"Our discoveries underscore the importance of understanding this virus's impacts not only on those directly infected but also on their children who may be affected by their parent's experience with COVID-19," Hannan concluded.