Cytokine autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of COVID-19
In this work package, we investigate the presence and the neutralizing capacity of auto-antibodies (auto-Abs) against type I interferons (IFNs) and other cytokines and their disease-causing potential in various SARS-CoV-2 disease manifestations in the general population and within specific disease groups. These auto-Abs have been identified to neutralize high concentrations of type I IFNs, thereby eliminating their ability to block SARS-CoV-2 infections. We here aim to characterize the immunological features of patients with auto-Abs against type I IFNs and to search for the according germline and somatic genetic variants underlying the production of these auto-Abs. Eventually, the goal is to develop large-scale automated tests for auto-Abs to type I IFNs in patients.
WP5 is led by Partner 2, INSERM