Scientists already know: These people almost never get COVID-19

Why were some people not infected with COVID-19 in more than two years of the pandemic? It turns out that it can be explained scientifically. Such people seem to have one specific feature.

1. For over two years, we have been experiencing new waves of coronavirus infections
2. In addition, the pathogen keeps mutating, which causes new and more infectious variants to dominate
3. However, there are still people in society who have not contracted the coronavirus even once. It could be their genes
4. More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.

In the publication in Nature, researchers identified 11 key areas in the human genome that are important in the context of susceptibility to coronavirus infection and the course of COVID-19. Among the authors of the publication is a researcher from Poland.

These people are less likely to contract the coronavirus

In order to better understand the biological basis of the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection, thousands of scientists from around the world formed the COVID-2020 Host Genetics Initiative (HGI) research group in early 19, right after the outbreak of the pandemic. Research groups from Poland have also joined the group, including a project conducted by the Medical University of Bialystok under the supervision of prof. Marcin Moniuszko, carried out in cooperation with the Polish biotechnology company IMAGENE.ME. The company’s representatives informed about the results of the work in a release sent to PAP.

In the latest research published in Nature, scientists analyzed data from over 125,5 thousand people. people infected with SARS-CoV-2 and over 2,5 million control patients. These were data from 60 studies from 25 countries. They searched for the genetic basis of the severe course of COVID-19 in some patients, but also for the susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

«This is comprehensive research. As many as 11 new areas in the human genome have been identified, the genetic variability of which is important in the context of susceptibility to coronavirus infection and the course of the disease it causes. Seven regions in DNA have also been selected that are associated with susceptibility to infection and as many as 16 are related to the severity of the course of COVID-19 », lists Polish co-author Dr. Karolina Chwiałkowska, quoted in the release.

He adds that a number of genes have been identified that play a role in the processes related to the so-called pulmonary surfactants, forming a lipid-protein layer covering the alveolar epithelium. «This includes the SFTPD gene, which encodes one of the proteins involved in the innate immune response, thereby protecting the lungs from inhaled microorganisms. Its recombinant fragment binds to the SARS-CoV-2 virus protein and potentially inhibits binding to the receptor for the protein on the surface of human cells – ACE2. This means, simply put, that people with a specific variant of the SFTPD gene are less susceptible to coronavirus infection »- he describes.

Genetic variants more resistant to SARS-CoV-2 are found all over the world

Another issue was the identification of protective variants located in the gene encoding the aforementioned ACE2 receptor. A hypothesis as to the significance of genetic variation within the gene encoding this receptor was developed as early as in 2020, when the first research works were planned. It turned out that it is a specific “gate” for SARS-CoV-2, through which the virus can enter human cells.

“Only now, after examining a huge number of patients from all over the world, has it been possible to confirm this hypothesis and identify specific genetic variants,” says Dr. Chwiałkowska. – Interestingly, the obtained results do not indicate the existence of large differences between populations from different countries of the world in this respect. We initially expected that, as some countries were more severely affected, perhaps the genetic background would be more diverse ».

Dr hab. Mirosław Kwaśniewski from IMAGENE.ME comments that the HGI initiative brought many interesting discoveries. He recalls that a year ago, the results of the previous analysis were published in Nature. At that time, the focus was on understanding the genes responsible for the severe course of COVID-19. «We carried out a similar project in Poland on a population of Polish patients who underwent COVID-19 with varying degrees of disease severity. The next, natural stage of the work of the HGI consortium was the separation of two processes – infection and the subsequent course of the disease »- says Dr. Kwaśniewski. And adds that COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative is the largest research consortium in the history of life sciences, operating on an unprecedented scale.

Dr. Karolina Chwiałkowska is involved in research and activities promoting knowledge about genetics. Since this year, the research team headed by her has been conducting, among others, a discussion group where each person can ask a question of interest to them in the field of genetics, the answer to which will be prepared by a team of experts in the areas of biotechnology, molecular genetics or clinical genetics.