Project Manager
Artur SchmidtchenProject manager
Lund UniversityAmount granted
1 135 000 SEKYear
2020
COVID-19 patients may develop excessive and uncontrolled inflammation causing a dysfunctional inflammatory state, characterized by severe organ damage with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as a common denominator. Cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and diabetes, as components of Metabolic Syndrome (MS), appear to play an important role in developing a more severe form of the disease.
Apart from the clinical link that MS is a risk factor for COVID-19, mechanistic information on the link between MS and COVID-19 is lacking. However, there is a well-known link between high levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and MS. We have made the unexpected but significant discovery that the extracellular protein in SARS Cov2, the Spike protein (S) interacts with and strongly boosts the inflammatory response to LPS.
In this project, we aim to analyze the interaction between S and LPS and the effects on inflammation. For this we will use in silico models, biophysical and biochemical methods in combination with studies in cell systems, human blood and animal models. The results, which will be communicated immediately after the completion of the proposed project, will provide a possible molecular explanation for the association between COVID-19 and MS and may lead to new therapeutic targets and strategies to ameliorate the hyperinflammation observed in COVID-19 patients.