SysImmCoV2

Host signatures predicting SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses and their association with protection

Foto: ISGlobal

Duración: 14/05/2020 - 14/05/2021
Coordinador: Gemma Moncunill Piñas
Financiadores: TRANSVAC2, European Vaccine Initiative

Extensive baseline variability in immune responses among individuals is increasingly being recognized as a major contributor to vaccine response heterogeneity and infection outcomes. Previous exposures such as infections or other environmental factors shape the immune system and subsequent susceptibility and acquired responses.

This variability between individuals will probably affect the acquisition of protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and its maintenance. It is likely that infected people mount different antibody responses with different strength and duration. The same immune factors will probably affect responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and vaccine efficacy.

Objectives

The objective of this study is to understand how host variability determines the induction and maintenance of antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 and to identify signatures predicting antibody responses.

We will identify transcriptomic, metabolomic and cytokine signatures and pathways, and cell phenotypes predicting antibody responses assessed by a SARS-CoV-2 serological assay developed at the Malaria Immunology Group, ISGlobal. We will perform, in collaboration with TRANSVAC2 investigators, AmpliSeq transcriptome analysis (Bioaster, FR), Mass Cytometry and multidimensional data analysis (CEA, FR), multiplex cytokine/chemokine profiling (UNISI, IT) and Metabolomics profiling (LUMC, NL) using samples at two different time points from 60 health care workers with any evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (rRT-PCR and/or serology). Data will be analyzed and integrated using machine learning and systems biology approaches.

The ability to predict who might develop robust and protective responses to SARS-CoV-2 might offer avenues for optimization of vaccination strategies.