Analyses of genetic variants determining the infection and evolution course of COVID-19 in young adults

• Grant number: 20/06091-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: July 01, 2020
• End date: June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Alexandre Favoretto Galante
• Grantee: Pedro Alexandre Favoretto Galante
• Host Institution: Hospital Sírio-Libanês. Sociedade Beneficente de Senhoras (SBSHSL). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Anamaria Aranha Camargo ; Cibele Masotti ; Diogo Meyer ; Maria Isabel Alves de Souza Waddington Achatz ; Paula Fontes Asprino
• Associated research grant: 18/15579-8 - Retroelements: a driving force generating genetic novelties in the human and mouse genome, AP.JP2

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been causing a pandemic of unprecedented rate in human history. In about 3.5 months of the disease, this virus has infected more than 2.5 million people, causing more than 177,000 deaths. Initially, it was believed that people affected by SARS-CoV-2 would be almost exclusively those with pre-existing chronic diseases and / or the elderly. However, young adults (<55 years old) and (apparently) healthy are also being severely affected and perishing because of the disease. In the USA, the country with the highest number of COVID-19 patients, people into this age group represent 60% of ICU admissions and S of deaths from the disease. Moreover, factors such as race and gender seem to have an importance in relation to the risk to COVID-19. Therefore, if analyzed from a broad point of view, such evidence suggests that there are genetic factors that determine the course of the infection and the response capacity of each organism to SARS-CoV-2. In this project, through DNA sequencing and computational analysis, we will study genetic variations in three groups of young adult patients infected with SARS-CoV-2: patients who presented mild, severe or critical symptoms. In a second front, we will genotype HLA alleles and look for a relationship between these variations and a response (excessive or attenuated) to the virus. As a final result, we aim to identify a set of genetic variants associated with each group of patients. These results can contribute to predict individuals more (or less) vulnerable to the disease and to understand the molecular mechanisms of action of SARS-CoV-2, contributing to the development of treatments and effective ways to combat it. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SEQUEIRA BARREIRO, RODRIGO ARAUJO; SABBAGA, JORGE; ROSSI, BENEDITO M.; ACHATZ, MARIA ISABEL W.; BETTONI, FABIANA; CAMARGO, ANAMARIA A.; ASPRINO, PAULA F.; GALANTE, PEDRO A. F.. Monoallelic deleterious MUTYH germline variants as a driver for tumorigenesis. JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, v. 256, n. 2, NOV 2021. (18/15579-8, 20/06091-1, 19/04927-8)

DE SOUZA, ANACLETO SILVA; DE FREITAS AMORIM, VITOR MARTINS; GUARDIA, GABRIELA D. A.; DOS SANTOS, FILIPE F.; ULRICH, HENNING; GALANTE, PEDRO A. F.; DE SOUZA, ROBSON FRANCISCO; GUZZO, CRISTIANE RODRIGUES. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants of Concern: A Perspective for Emerging More Transmissible and Vaccine-Resistant Strains. Viruses-Basel, v. 14, n. 4, p. 21-pg., 2022-04-01. (18/07366-4, 20/06091-1, 19/00195-2, 16/09047-8, 20/14158-9, 20/04680-0, 17/18246-7, 17/19541-2, 18/15579-8)

DE SOUZA, ANACLETO SILVA; AMORIM, VITOR MARTINS DE FREITAS; GUARDIA, GABRIELA D. A.; DOS SANTOS, FELIPE R. C.; DOS SANTOS, FILIPE F.; DE SOUZA, ROBSON FRANCISCO; JUVENAL, GUILHERME DE ARAUJO; HUANG, YIHUA; GE, PINGJU; JIANG, YINAN; et al. Molecular Dynamics Analysis of Fast-Spreading Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants and Their Effects on the Interaction with Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2. ACS OMEGA, v. 7, n. 35, p. 10-pg., 2022-08-24. (20/06091-1, 17/18246-7, 17/19541-2, 20/04680-0, 19/00195-2, 16/09047-8, 18/15579-8, 18/07366-4, 20/14158-9)