OMRF awarded grant to study impact of coronavirus
The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has received a large federal grant to study the impact of the coronavirus on Oklahomans, specifically in different ethnic groups.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is funding the two-year project for $1.75 million in hopes of understanding the immune system's response to the virus that has spread across the globe, killing more than 440,000 people worldwide.
Specifically, the study will test how immune responses vary in different ethnic groups and aims to understand if the immune response is protective against future infections — or if it might worsen them.
“OMRF has a strong history and wonderful partnerships throughout the state,” said Linda Thompson, Ph. D., who will help lead the project. “That should enable us to quickly obtain blood samples from those who have been exposed to or infected by the coronavirus.”
Researchers for the project will analyze blood donated by volunteers to understand individuals' differing immune responses to the virus. The OMRF scientists will be looking for biological clues that might identify those individuals most likely to experience a severe response to coronavirus infection.
Oklahomans are at a somewhat higher risk for life-threatening complications from COVID-19, as they tend to have higher rates of other conditions associated with greater mortality: obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
OMRF is recruiting individuals for
COVID- 19 antibody testing, especially people with these high-risk conditions, those with Native American heritage, and those who know or suspect they have recovered from the virus. If you're interested in participating, please call 405-271-7221 or email Jackie-Keyser@ omrf.org.
OMRF researchers also will be studying the roles and reactions of antibodies that form in the immune response to infection to the virus known technically as SARS-CoV-2.
“We have to understand all aspects of the body's immune response and which ones correlate to good health outcomes, and we also need to understand how these vary in different ethnicities,” said Thompson. “This knowledge gap needs to be filled quickly to inform vaccine trials, some of which are already underway.”