The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus has led to a worldwide health crisis. The course of the disease when infected with the coronavirus varies per person. Some people become severely ill leading to hospital admissions, while others only show mild symptoms. Therefore, it's important to better understand the coronavirus.
When the virus enters the body, it sets off a complicated interaction between the body's immune system and the virus itself. In this study researchers compared blood samples from people with different levels of COVID-19 severity to samples from healthy individuals. They found that certain markers associated with aging were more abundant in the blood of COVID-19 patients, especially in monocytes. These aging markers could potentially be used to predict how severe a person's COVID-19 symptoms might become.
The researchers suggest that as monocytes age prematurely due to the virus, they may not function as effectively in clearing the virus and regulating inflammation. This could lead to more severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Identifying these aging markers in monocytes might help predict the severity of the disease and its long-term effects. The study also suggests that targeting these aged monocytes could be a potential strategy to reduce the harmful effects of the immune response in severe COVID-19 cases, but more research is needed to fully understand this process.
Mass spectrometry is a powerful technology that can measure the 'weight' of molecules or their fragments. This technique is particularly valuable for the analysis of proteins (proteomics) in patient samples. However, this technique is hampered by the abundance of various proteins in plasma or solid tissue. By circumventing these barriers, the project aims to develop a method to accurately measure various patient samples, with the ultimate goal to find certain signature molecules (biomarkers) that can quickly detect health problems or can tailor treatment to the individual.
The study is ongoing and is co-financed by the European Union.
