They conducted the study with British and French colleagues. Together, the scientists in the goblet and cilia cells discovered many macromolecules that promote the production of the proteins with which the coronavirus enters human cells. Some cells in our eyes, lungs and intestines also contain many of these molecules.
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“This is the first time that these specific cells in the nose have been associated with the virus that causes Covid-19,” say biologist Martijn Nawijn and pulmonologist Maarten van den Berge of the UMCG. “The location of these cells on the surface of the inside of the nose makes them highly accessible to the virus.”
The research is published in Nature Medicine. The hope is that the discovery may help in developing treatments that can reduce transmission.
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