More than 1000 genes may contribute to a person鈥檚 risk of developing severe covid-19, on top of life circumstances such as their age, ethnicity and any health conditions.
Most of the genes, discovered in a study of more than 1 million people, affect the functioning of two kinds of immune cell.
If the results are confirmed, they could inform a test that assesses a person鈥檚 risk of getting badly ill with covid-19, says at the University of Sheffield, UK.
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鈥淲e know there are young people who are otherwise fit that get severe covid,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e are trying to get at the genetic determinants that put people at risk irrespective of the more obvious things.鈥�
Cooper-Knock鈥檚 team used artificial intelligence to analyse results from a global data set called the , a genetics project run by a group of researchers and companies.
The team looked at which genetic variants were more common in about 5100 people who died or needed respiratory support because of covid-19, compared with about 1.4 million people who never tested positive for the infection. None of the participants was vaccinated against covid-19.
The research group found 1370 gene variants that were linked to covid-19 severity, with these same variants coming up again when checked against two similar data sets.
These variants accounted for three-quarters of the participants鈥� genetic risk for severe covid-19, with the remaining one-quarter of the risk being unknown, according to the team.
Next, the team cross-checked the results with information on which genes are normally active in 19 different types of cell in healthy lungs. This showed that immune cells called natural killer cells and T-cells are key in controlling whether covid-19 becomes severe.
Before the results can be turned into a commercial genetic assay, a prototype would need to be tested further, says Cooper-Knock. 鈥淲e would sequence [participants] before they have covid-19, assign them into risk groups and make predictions.鈥�
Such a test may be less accurate if used on vaccinated people, as genetic susceptibility is less relevant if you have the protection of a vaccine, says at the University of Oxford.
Nevertheless, the findings shed light on the mechanisms involved in severe covid-19, which could lead to new treatments, he says. 鈥淭he main importance is in identifying new therapy options,鈥� he says.
Cell Systems
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