Research Initiatives on COVID-19 in the Division of Translational Toxicology

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Our current work focuses on investigating specific cellular functions that have been demonstrated to be relevant to respiratory viral infection, including (influenza and SARS-CoV-2), susceptibility and pathogenesis by evaluating inflammatory and innate and adaptive immune responses. We are using an in vitro human whole blood assay system that can examine the impact of environmental factors, such as polyaromatic compounds, on lymphocyte cytotoxicity as well as selected immune functions from the same cell cultures and using multiple donors. To provide direct relevance to respiratory viral infections, we have incorporated evaluation of immune responses to viral antigens. To investigate interindividual susceptibility factors, human donors with a prior history of respiratory viral disease have been screened using the in vitro assays for immune response and challenged with viral antigens to provide information on the potential interactions with age, gender, and ethnicity. We have screened 200 donors and are evaluating the correlation between the independent variables of demographics and Covid history with immune endpoints. A second analysis strategy will examine the correlation between blood antibody levels and immune cell population counts/cytotoxicity, cytokine/chemokine production, and NK function. Two papers have been published related to this work. A final paper examining susceptibility factors is in preparation Projects addressing the affecting the uptake of MPS models for SARS-CoV-2 research, and the Building an AOP network modeling COVID-19 pathogenesis were completed in previous years and should no longer be part of this report.