A systems-level approach to understanding the immunology of COVID-19 in adults and children

Speakers:  Petter Brodin, Professor of Immunology at Karolinska Institutet 

Original Broadcast date:  October 20 2020

This webinar presents recent studies from Dr. Petter Brodin's group at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm that provide important insights into the immune system responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. These studies took a systems-level approach to analyze both the cellular and protein components involved, using methodologies including mass cytometry, flow cytometry and high-multiplex proteomics.

A longitudinal study of severe COVID-19 patients identified distinct patterns of immune cell coregulation in four different stages of the disease and demonstrated a shared trajectory of immunological recovery that may provide future biomarkers of disease progression. In an investigation of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a relatively rare complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children, important differences in inflammatory response were seen between MIS-C and severe COVID-19 in adults. Moreover, while some similarities were observed between inflammatory responses in MIS-C and Kawasaki disease, important differences were also apparent, particularly in the T-cell subsets involved.

The webinar covers the following points:

• How a systems-level approach combining multiple methodologies can provide essential insights into complex biological questions such as immune responses
• The impact of combining cellular and molecular analyses in trying to better understand the intricate and varied immune system responses in COVID-19
• How protein biomarkers can contribute to a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and facilitate future treatment strategies

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