PARTICIPATE IN OUR STUDY!
OUR MISSION
Why do some people get very ill from Coronavirus infection (COVID-19), experience others little or no symptoms, while yet others do not get infected at all? Rather than luck, we think the answer is in our genome and immunity. Our genes are small, yet mighty and can control our immunity in even the most subtle ways. This may explain why some people seem better equipped than others to fight this new virus. Immunity can also be disrupted by non-genetic mechanisms, which can be found thanks to the ‘genetic compass’.
Our mission is to find out why and how our genes affect our immunity against Coronavirus, and how and why immunity can also be affected by other, non-genetic causes. This discovery will allow us to develop new ways to combat this pandemic: through better and faster diagnosis, new drugs for the treatment and prevention of infection, new ways to develop a vaccine, and a better understanding of how this infection works in the body.
To accomplish all of this, we need your help. Urgently.
OUR STORY
We are a group of more than 250 researchers and physicians from nearly every continent in the world. We believe that science functions for the benefit of humanity, now more than ever.
Cumulatively, we have over 2,000 years of hands-on experience in patient care, and in infectious diseases and genetic research. Many have received national and international awards and recognition for groundbreaking and life-saving research.
We cannot solve the Coronavirus pandemic alone. So, we’ve joined forces to investigate the genetic basis of this life-threatening new disease, and to discover with new ways to treat it. We’re bringing our extensive knowledge, resources and networks to this effort.
We are giving this effort our all and we need you too!
WHERE YOU COME IN
We are investigating the genetic material (DNA) of individuals who are suffering or have suffered from a severe case of COVID-19, experienced an asymptomatic infection or who are possibly resistant to infection or disease.
From those eligible, we just need some medical history and a blood or saliva sample.
You or your loved one may be eligible if you/they:
Were admitted to or repeatedly seen at a hospital because of COVID-19
Did not get infected despite intense and repeated exposed to COVID-19
Of any age, from neonates to the elderly.
We particularly call for families in which multiple relatives have fallen ill from COVID-19
*Even if a relative has passed away, their inclusion in the effort could be invaluable. Please do not hesitate to reach out for more information on how to participate on their behalf.
How to participate:
In person: One or two visits to any of our participating centers for a brief interview and a blood sample collection.
Remotely: You can participate by phone or video-call, and have your blood collected at a facility near you.
Want to help? Have more questions? Please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Privacy:
We would like to thank you for your interest in participating in our study and are so grateful for your potential involvement. Please rest assured that all of your personal information will be protected in accordance with the laws of your country and no collection of information or genetic material will take place without your informed consent.
WHO STARTED THIS CONSORTIUM?
Dr. Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD, a pediatrician and immunologist, is the Levy Family Professor and head of the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Disease at the Rockefeller University in New York, NY, USA. He is also a member of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a faculty member at the Necker Hospital for Sick Children, University of Paris, France. His lab aims to understand why some children or adults develop severe infectious diseases after coming into contact with certain pathogens, while most do not. In his pioneering research, Casanova and his colleagues discovered “holes” in host defense of otherwise healthy children and adults that make them susceptible to specific, sometimes life-threatening infectious diseases. These “holes” are caused by congenital mutations in a single gene and are responsible for the susceptibility to certain infections including viral infections, such as herpes simplex virus encephalitis, fulminant viral hepatitis, or influenza pneumonia. The practical implementations of these findings include molecular diagnosis and genetic counseling for the patients and their families as well as the development of targeted therapies aimed at restoring a deficient immune response.
Dr. Helen Su, MD, PhD, a pediatrician and immunologist, is a clinical immunologist and the Chief of the Human Immunological Diseases Section (HIDS) at the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, MD, USA. Her research group studies patients with a range of poorly characterized, inherited immunodeficiency-immunodysregulation disorders, and has an especial interest in those patients who have recurrent or severe virus infections. She discovered inherited MDA-5 deficiency as the first etiology of severe pulmonary infections caused by rhinovirus and related viruses. Her research goals are not only to improve diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, but also to elucidate molecular mechanisms that normally regulate the immune system, including those involved in antiviral immunity. These goals are being achieved through a multi-faced approach of clinical evaluations, assessments of immune function, biochemical and genetic analyses, and new technologies.