Deciphering the Role of Host Genetics in Susceptibility to Severe COVID-19

Frontiers in Immunology
Madalina Elena Carter-TimofteTrine H Mogensen

Abstract

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) describes a set of symptoms that develop following infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Whilst COVID-19 disease is most serious in patients with significant co-morbidities, the reason for healthy individuals succumbing to fulminant infection is largely unexplained. In this review, we discuss the most recent findings in terms of clinical features and the host immune response, and suggest candidate immune pathways that may be compromised in otherwise healthy individuals with fulminating COVID-19. On the basis of this early knowledge we reason a potential genetic effect on host immune response pathways leading to increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Understanding these pathways may help not only in unraveling disease pathogenesis, but also in suggesting targets for therapy and prophylaxis. Importantly such insight should instruct efforts to identify those at increased risk in order to institute preventative measures, such as prophylactic medication and/or vaccination, when such opportunities arise in the later phases of the current pandemic or during future similar pandemics.

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Citations

Oct 14, 2020·Journal of Neurology·Peter G E Kennedy
Nov 6, 2020·Expert Review of Clinical Immunology·Onorina BerardicurtiRoberto Giacomelli
Dec 15, 2020·Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology : Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology·Monica FungJennifer Babik
Mar 9, 2021·Frontiers in Immunology·Zongwei LiuWeijiang Guan
Mar 9, 2021·Frontiers in Pediatrics·Alain CunaMinesh Khashu
Mar 20, 2021·Inflammation Research : Official Journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et Al.]·Ghazaleh Shimi, Hamid Zand
Mar 28, 2021·Environmental Health : a Global Access Science Source·Peter D SlyWilliam A Suk
Jun 3, 2021·Meta Gene·Vishnubhotla RavikanthD Nageshwar Reddy
May 21, 2021·Personality and Individual Differences·Vania RolónAlexander Mackiel
Aug 12, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Pratha SahAlison P Galvani

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
biopsy
exome sequencing

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