SARS-CoV-2 Pathogenesis

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

In late 2019, a novel beta coronavirus emerged in humans to cause a global pandemic which is still on-going in August 2021. The virus, SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in over 621,000 fatal cases in the U.S. and almost 37 million diagnosed cases in 2020-2021. Understanding how infection can lead to serious or fatal illness is critically important for efforts to develop therapeutics and vaccines. In this research project, a systems biology approach was employed to investigate fatal cases of SARS-CoV-2, including histopathology, molecular analyses of host gene expression, molecular virology, and other inflammatory and immune markers. In parallel, a novel vaccine is being developed and evaluated in pre-clinical studies in experimental animals using a whole virus inactivated vaccine approach in both intramuscular and intranasal routes of inoculation.