Antigen-presenting cells in COVID-19 disease at single cell resolution – APCOD

SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in severe disease characterised by systemic inflammation, acute respiratory distress syndrome and lung injury, leading to morbidity and mortality caused by lung damage, inflammation and pneumonia. Such COVID-19 patients require hospitalisation in intensive care units and present a major concern in the current epidemics.
Deregulation in the distribution of immune cell populations is suggested to be a major player in the disease severity. COVID-19 patients are characterised by lymphopenia and elevated serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Important progress has already been made in describing the cellular composition featuring COVID-19 patient blood. However, the rarity of some populations that play major roles in immune regulation precludes their analysis, unless a dedicated and integrated approach would combine clinical, immunological and technological frameworks. Along this line, in this project we aim to put special emphasis on antigen-presenting cell subset diversity, the underlying molecular and functional features, and cellular networks they engage in the context of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Our project has the potential to result in a significant clinical impact for future management of COVID-19 disease, in the form of novel therapeutic targets, and biomarker-driven treatment strategies.