Recently published study maps gene pathways implicated in driving severe COVID-19

Congratulations to Dr Rachel MacCann and the All Ireland Infectious Diseases (AIID) Cohort on their recently published study that maps out gene pathways implicated in driving severe COVID-19. This study suggests that early host immune responses linking defects in mast cell activation with host interferon responses, correlates with more severe outcomes in COVID-19. Further characterisation of this pathway could help inform better treatment for vulnerable individuals.

Dr MacCann, who is also an Infectious Diseases trainee working in St Vincent's Hospital, said, "Our findings uncover a novel relationship between mast cells and disease outcomes in COVID-19. This interaction could be important in other respiratory diseases as well as COVID-19 and future work exploring this relationship could reveal interesting insights into early host immune responses to viral infections."

Read the research article here.