Scientists from Stanford and the University of Sheffield found there are specific genetic signals in people who develop severe COVID19 infection.
The research is published in Cell Systems and was conducted by Dr. Johnathan Cooper-Knock et al.
It is known that age, body mass index and pre-existing health problems account for some of the disparities, but genetics also play a significant role.
In the study, the team aimed to address why some people with COVID-19 become seriously ill or die, whilst others have few, if any, symptoms.
They used several large data sets to unpack the genetics behind severe COVID-19. The first data set contained genetic information from healthy human lung tissue.
The data helped identify gene expression in 19 different types of lung cells, including epithelial cells that line the respiratory tract and are the first defense against infection.
Other data came from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, one of the largest genetic studies of critically ill coronavirus patients.
The researchers looked for genetic clues in the data—DNA mutations, called single nucleotide polymorphisms—that might indicate if someone is at a higher risk for severe COVID-19.
They tracked whether some mutations occurred more or less often in COVID-19 patients with severe disease.
With machine learning, the team identified more than 1,000 genes linked to the development of severe COVID-19 cases that required breathing support or were fatal.
The team was also able to identify specific types of cells in which those genes act up. It’s one of the first studies to link coronavirus-associated genes to specific biological functions.
The team also found that severe COVID-19 is largely associated with a weakened response from two well-known immune cells—natural killer (NK) cells and T cells.
In people with severe coronavirus infection, critical genes in NK cells are expressed less, so there’s a less robust immune response. The cell isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do.
This study is significant in understanding why some people have had more severe symptoms of COVID-19 than others.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about a new drug that could prevent COVID-19, and Omicron can be neutralized by a booster dose.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies that CBD from cannabis may inhibit COVID-19 infection, and results showing this drug treatment may prevent COVID death and lung damage.
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