Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient.
Comprehensive analyses of innate and adaptive immune responses during acute COVID-19 infection and convalescence
The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented public health crisis. At present, our narrow understanding of the immune system’s response to the infection limits our capacity to prevent and treat severe disease. As part of the efforts outlined in the NIAID Strategic Plan for COVID-19 Research, NIAID researchers are spearheading a large, international collaboration to unveil the innate and adaptive immune responses during acute COVID-19 infection and convalescence. Each researcher will contribute their unique expertise to collectively elucidate the innate and adaptive immune response to COVID-19 infection. This synergistic coalition of researchers will work closely and share data to maximize the impact of patient samples. The overall goal is to identify immunological and virological correlates and predictors of clinical outcomes.
The research projects will examine the following:
- Genetic markers of susceptibility to severe COVID-19 infection
- Composition of T- and B-cell repertoire and mapping of virus-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) sequences
- Cytokine and chemokine profiling, including interferon (IFN) signature and soluble markers of inflammation
- Antibody responses to COVID-19 infection
- Anti-cytokine autoantibodies
- Levels of plasma gelsolin
- Humoral immunological signature of the human virome
- Anti-commensal antibody repertoire
- Systems biology approach to understand changes in the immune system
- Intrapatient SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation
- Role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs)
How To Contribute
This website is designed to inform physicians of the research occurring at NIAID. If interested in contributing to any or all of these research projects, please reach out to the contact person on the respective project page.
As of September 2024, several projects including collaborative studies with external sites are still being pursued, but research activity has greatly diminished with the tailing off of the pandemic.
Host Genetics
Researchers in the Human Immunological Diseases Section believe COVID-19 causes mild or no illness in some individuals and not others because of our genetic makeup. The lab will sequence and analyze the genomes of previously healthy patients who experienced severe or fatal COVID-19 infection.