Autoantibody-mediated pain in long COVID: evidence from multiple lines.

allodynia and hyperalgesia; autoantibody; long Covid; pain; post-acute sequela of COVID-19 (PASC); preclinical (in vivo) studies; Immunology and Allergy; Immunology

Disciplines :

Immunology & infectious disease
Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology

Author, co-author :

Nicaise, Charles; URPhyM, NARILIS, Université de Namur, Namur, Belgium

Bulpa, Pierre; Intensive Care Unit, CHU UCL Namur, Yvoir, Belgium

Jamoulle, Marc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Opérations : Systèmes d'information de gestion

Language :

English

Title :

Autoantibody-mediated pain in long COVID: evidence from multiple lines.

Publication date :

17 June 2026

Journal title :

Frontiers in Immunology

eISSN :

1664-3224

Publisher :

Frontiers Media SA, Switzerland

Volume :

Pages :

1840110

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1840110/full

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique

Funding text :

The author(s) declared that financial support was received for this work and/or its publication. This research program benefited from funding granted to Charles Nicaise (FNRS CDR J.0147.22).

Available on ORBi :

since 16 August 2026

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Bibliography

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3 de Sá KSG, Silva J, Bayarri-Olmos R, Baker CA, Lu Z, Gipson W, et al. A causal link between autoantibodies and neurological symptoms in long COVID. Cell. (2026) 189:3214–3235.e37. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.04.042, 42208499.
4 Mignolet M, Deroux C, Florkin T, Bielarz V, De Swert K, Halloin N, et al. Pathogenic IgG from long COVID patients with neurological sequelae triggers sensitive but not cognitive impairments upon transfer into mice. Acta Neuropathol. (2026) 151:50. doi: 10.1007/s00401-026-03019-0, 42053865.
5 Javed H, Lang L, Israel M, Vastani N, Ribiero A, Primicheru L, et al. Autoantibodies mediate pain and sensory dysfunction in post-COVID syndrome. In: Research Square Durham, NC: Spring Nature (2025). Available online at: https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7989936/v1_covered_8653eeda-184a-4443-bfbb-b3c802e8a064.pdf (Accessed March 25, 2026).
6 Merton RK. Singletons and multiples in scientific discovery: a chapter in the sociology of science. In: Proc am Philos Soc, Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press vol. 105. (1961). p. 470–86. doi: 10.2307/2089193.
7 Ranque B, Cogan E. Internal medicine at the crossroads of long COVID diagnosis and management. Front Med. (2025) 12:1521472. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1521472.
8 Thompson JS, Thornton AC, Ainger T, Garvy BA. Long-term high-dose immunoglobulin successfully treats long COVID patients with pulmonary, neurologic, and cardiologic symptoms. Front Immunol. (2023) 13:1033651. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1033651, 36818469.