# A coronavirus protease activates sensory neurons via TRPA1 to drive sneeze, cough, and pain

Source: [cell.com](https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(26)00813-5?rss=yes) · 2026-11-12 · Mind
Page: https://themorning.science/story/a-coronavirus-protease-activates-sensory-neurons-via-trpa1-to-drive-sneeze-cough-04901d3485988b20
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- A study by Mali et al. reports that coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, trigger sneezing, coughing and pain hypersensitivity by directly activating nociceptors.
- The viral protein PLpro alone is sufficient to produce these effects.
- The work identifies a mechanism by which the virus drives hallmark symptoms.

## Why it matters

It identifies a direct neural route by which a coronavirus protein produces sneezing, coughing and pain, which can help explain these symptoms and point to possible targets for treatment.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-12: Study by Mali et al. published in Neuron

## Coverage

- [A coronavirus protease activates sensory neurons via TRPA1 to drive sneeze, cough, and pain](https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(26)00813-5?rss=yes) — cell.com, 2026-11-12

Tags: coronavirus, sars-cov-2, trpa1, nociceptors, sneezing, viral-protease

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science