Tohoku Univ. Technology : New method to assess severity risk of COVID-19 infection : T20-3125

Contribute to both prevention of the spread of infection and economic activities

In the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been raging since 2020, the health care crisis and economic stagnation have become major problems. We must solve these challenges and prepare for other pandemics by emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases in the future. 　 　Although neutralizing antibodies are protective against viral challenge, the adaptive T cell immune response is a major determinant of the clinical outcome after viral infection. 　In this study, the inventor aims the establishment of the technique that predicts disease severity by means of specific or cross-reactive mobilization of T cell immunity to four subtypes of human common cold coronavirus (HCoVs-229E, -OC43, -NL63, and -HKU1) and SARS-CoV-2 from convalescent COVID-19 patients and SARS-CoV-2–unexposed donors. Using ELISPOT technology, this study succeeded in developing a prediction equation for severe disease, thus establishing a prediction method (see figure). 　In addition, the data accumulated and the knowledge obtained in this study are very useful for the countermeasures against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases of concern in the future. We believe this novel technique is able to release many people from excess behavioral restrictions or a deterioration in the economy.

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