Projects

The majority of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals develop mild symptoms, but about 10-30% can develop a severe disease that requires hospitalization and, eventually, the admission into the intensive care unit (ICU). Although it is not clear which factors determine the development of this severe form of the disease, it has been postulated that a deregulated response by the body’s defenses against the infection might be behind the hyperinflammation and tissue damage observed in those patients.

Antibodies are a very important part of our defenses since they can neutralize viruses, thus helping in the control of the infection and protecting us from new infections. However, under some circumstances and in a specific subset of individuals, infections can cause an exaggerated immune response against the pathogen resulting in excessive production of antibodies that can lead to the severe form of the disease. In the case of SARS-CoV-2 infection, an overproduction of total and neutralizing antibodies has been observed in severe COVID-19 patients, compared with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 patients. Thus, the aim of the present project is to understand whether there is a link between dysregulation of the antibody-mediated immune system response against the infection and the severity of COVID-19. To do so, the research team is planning to study and compare the antibodies developed by severe COVID-19 patients with those elicited in people that suffer from a mild form of the disease. Moreover, they will purify and study those antibodies in the laboratory to investigate whether they can trigger immune cells producing proinflammatory factors.

Flow cytometry is a tool that measures cellular particles in a fluid stream with the aim of gathering information of clinical importance. It has found many uses in biomedicine, such as the analysis of immune cells to diagnose and monitor diseases. The current procedures applied for the measurement of lymphocytes —a type of immune cells— are descriptive. Consequently, these procedures do not evaluate the set of immune functions mediated by these cells, which are essential for the resolution of pathological processes.

This project has developed and patented a methodology called “Boosted Flow Cytometry” tool that captures a more diverse range of pathogen-specific T-cell responses. This has been applied to HIV, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and SARS-CoV-2 infection, and responses have been detected that are overlooked with current procedures and that play a fundamental role in the management of these diseases.

The objective is to achieve clinical validation and establish a commercially viable diagnostic tool to better identify infections, predict disease course and monitor response to treatment and/or vaccination strategies.