Teresa Allende-Aydillo Gomez, PhD

SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus that belongs to a large family of viruses capable of infecting both mammals and birds. Some of these viruses include the coronaviruses responsible for the common cold in humans. We have shown in the past that prior exposure to these common cold coronaviruses may result in the generation of cross-reactive immune responses upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the impact of pre-existing immunity and cross-reactivity immune responses to other coronaviruses in SARS-CoV-2 is not totally clear. We will study how cross-reactive immune responses against multiple coronaviruses can impact SARS-CoV-2 immune responses. In a second step, we will use this information to identify and generate monoclonal antibodies with the ability to exhibit protection against multiple coronaviruses. Our research will help to develop human therapeutics against coronaviruses that can have pathogenic potential.  

Update:

We previously studied how the body's antibodies respond to SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized. We found that these antibodies also react strongly to similar parts of other beta-coronaviruses. In our expanded research, we looked at how the immune system responds to SARS-CoV-2 and other HCoV spike proteins in the upper respiratory system. Our findings indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers a strong immune response in the mucous membranes. We also observed that other human beta-coronaviruses boost immunity in the respiratory tract following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Supported by the Mary Fuller Russell Fund