《洛杉磯時報》報導，加州大學三藩市分校帶領的國際團隊透過電子顯微鏡觀察及分析新型冠狀病毒的感染情況，發現受感染的人體細胞會長出觸手狀的尖刺“絲狀偽足“。研究團隊說，新型冠狀病毒似乎利用這些細絲或絲狀偽足來補獲新細胞，提高在人體中的感染效率。
科學家迄今一直認為，新型冠狀病毒的傳播方式與其他病毒一樣，是透過“依附“于健康的細胞再大量複製（先附著於細胞表面，然後像“劫機“般，挾持細胞的正常功能，使其成為複製病毒的“工廠“）。然而，絲狀偽足的發現表明，新型冠狀病毒已進化，發展出多種方法，來確保其可在細胞間快速傳遞。領導研究的加州大學細胞及分子藥理學教授克羅根（Nevan Krogan）說，新型冠狀病毒有很多特點不符合科學家的預估。他又表示：“病毒很可怕，在殺死細胞前，會利用其他機制感染其他細胞。“
某些病毒（例如：愛滋病病毒及天花）同樣會透過“絲狀偽足“把病毒傳染全身，但克羅根指肺炎能如此迅速地、大量地長出“觸手“很不尋常，且“觸手“像樹幹的形狀向外伸展（從細胞伸出分支觸手）也非常不尋常。哥倫比亞大學微生物學家高夫（Stephen Goff）則建議謹慎，“觸手“還未必是新型冠狀病毒的第二種傳播方式。他坦承，研究結果有力地表明“絲狀偽足在某種程度上增強了病毒感染細胞的能力“，“但我們還不知道哪個（感染）階段受到這些『奇怪凸起』的影響，找出來將會非常有趣“。上述研究已發佈在權威學術期刊《細胞》（Cell）。研究團隊相信，研究成果有助於改良肺炎的治療方法。
The Los Angeles Times reported that an international team led by the University of California, San Francisco observed and analyzed the infection of the new coronavirus through an electron microscope and found that the infected human cells would grow tentacle-like spikes ” filamentous pseudopods . ” The research team said that the new coronavirus seems to use these filaments or filopodia to replenish new cells and increase the efficiency of infection in the human body .
Scientists have so far believed that the new mode of transmission of coronavirus with other viruses, is through ” attachment ” and then a lot of copy (first attached to the cell surface of healthy cells, then as ” hijacking ” like, hostage normal function of cells, making it Become a ” factory ” for virus replication ). However, the discovery of filopodia indicates that the new coronavirus has evolved and various methods have been developed to ensure that it can be quickly transmitted between cells .
Nevan Krogan , a professor of cell and molecular pharmacology at the University of California , who led the research, said that the new coronavirus has many characteristics that do not meet the expectations of scientists. He added: “The virus is terrible. Before it kills the cell, it uses other mechanisms to infect other cells. “
Some viruses (such as HIV and smallpox) can also spread the virus to the body through ” filamentous pseudopodia ” , but Crogan’s finger pneumonia can grow ” tentacles ” so quickly and in large numbers that is very unusual, and ” tentacles ” ” The shape of a tree trunk extending outwards (branch tentacles from the cell) is also very unusual .
Columbia University microbiologistStephen Goffadvises caution,“tentacles” may not necessarily be the second mode of transmission of the new coronavirus. He admits, the findings strongly suggest “filopodia in a way to enhance the ability of the virus-infected cells“,“but we do not know which (of infection) stages are affected by these” strange bump “, and find out It will be very interesting“. The above research has been published in the authoritative academic journal “Cell” (Cell). The research team believes that the research results will help improve the treatment of pneumonia.