Telomere length in COVID-19: Biological aging and susceptibility to severe disease
Concept
COVID-19 is are characterized by acute lung inflammatory disease and a strong systemic inflammatory response, termed “cytokine storm” that partially resembles other situations such as macrophage activation and autoinflammatory syndromes or CART therapy. The project investigates on the hypothesis that biological ageing and TS may be mechanistically linked to hyperinflammatory responses, and propose to investigate telomere shortening (TS) as a risk factor for severe disease and for long-term morbidity after recovery from acute COVID-19.
Facts and Figures
J L Pablos
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Meet the Team
Project Lead
J L PablosHospital 12 de Octubre
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Objectives
The objective of the project is to better understand the relationship between ageing, previous chronic diseases (vascular, hypertension, diabetes) and the severity of COVID-19, through the study of a well-known process associated with aging: telomere shortening (TS).
Goals/Milestones
- Collection of 1st DNA sample from COVID biobank and TL determination.
- Revision of clinical and lab variables from electronic records of the hospitalization and completion of database.
- Analysis of correlations TL and clinical data and report.
- Collection of 2nd DNA sample where available along follow-up.
- Analysis of basal/follow-up TL changes in a subset of patients with available samples.
- Analysis of correlations of TL with clinical evolution at 18 months and report.
Patient Voice
Not immediate individual benefits expected. Future patients with COVID-19, or with future similar viral diseases could benefit.