PAT-COVID - HOST GENETICS AND PATHOGENETIC MECHANISMS OF COVID-19 (DSB.AD005.107)

Thematic area

Biomedical sciences

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of biomedical technologies (ITB)

Project manager

FRANCESCA COLOMBO
Phone number: 0226422705
Email: Francesca.colombo@itb.cnr.it

Abstract

Italy has been the first European Country experiencing the epidemic wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While most affected people develop mild symptoms, a subset of patients develop severe pneumonia and require intensive ventilation. Approximately 20% of cases require hospitalization, 5% require the Intensive Care Unit, and ~2.5% require very intensive procedures. Patients requiring ventilatory assistance are often older and/or have comorbidities. However, these factors do not fully explain the differences in severity. There should be therefore a genetic difference of the host underlying clinical variability. We aim to develop a genetic-based approach to understand clinical variability of COVID-19 by collecting biological samples of 3,000 Italian individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and related relevant clinical information. The combined approach of Genome-Wide Association Study and exome sequencing, connected with machine learning approaches, will lead to identification of one or more candidate gene(s) responsible for pneumonia. To prove the functional consequences of the identified candidate variants, functional studies will be carried out using cellular models.

Start date of activity

10/03/2021

Keywords

COVID-19, GWAS, WES

Last update: 21/03/2025