Anosmia After COVID-19

In a world where the scent of rain and fresh coffee can't be felt, life becomes much harder. Many people lost their sense of smell after COVID-19. But the good news is, scientists are finding a way to solve this problem. Inspired by a specific protein found in a type of spider, they've created a molecule that can help us understand why some people lost their sense of smell. This magical molecule is like a flashlight shining inside the nose, showing us if the important parts of the nose are working correctly. What was their testing method? They used unfortunate mice and a drug called methimazole. The mice were anesthetized, and images were taken of different parts of their bodies, including their noses. The result was interesting: after developing a smell disorder, the mice were slower to find their food. The specific molecule they created (Tsp1a-IR800P) binds to a very important protein in our nose. This protein is like a wire that sends smell messages to the brain. When this protein doesn't work properly, we lose our sense of smell. Scientists have found that in diseases like COVID-19 and chronic inflammation, this protein becomes less active.