viral-infection
Viral infection in plants occurs when pathogenic viruses invade plant cells, hijacking cellular machinery to replicate and spread throughout the host tissue. Understanding plant-virus interactions is critical for agriculture, as viral diseases can devastate crops, reduce yields, and threaten food security worldwide. Research into plant viral infections drives the development of resistant cultivars, diagnostic tools, and disease management strategies.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-13
A study of 761 pregnant women found that COVID-19 rarely infects placental tissue in the first trimester, yet still triggers significant immune disruption at the maternal-fetal interface that may harm pregnancy outcomes.
SARS-CoV-2 was detected at low levels in placental tissues from 761 first-trimester pregnancies, with single-cell analysis showing no significant co-expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 entry receptors.
Maternal infection significantly elevated immune markers IL-31, IL-5, and GRO-α during acute infection, while increased IgG antibody levels were negatively correlated with TNF-β, suggesting a protective antibody effect.
Infection disrupted WNT and TGF-β signaling pathways in trophoblast cells and altered their differentiation trajectories, despite the virus being largely absent from placental tissue.