Do innate immune system SNPs contribute to risk of severe Influenza?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Rapid detection of SNPs in human innate genes IFITM3 and ATG16L1 to identify individuals susceptible to severe influenza virus (IAV) infection.
IRAS ID
297785
Contact name
Luke Griffith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
The influenza virus is a seasonal, potentially serious disease in humans that can also lead to global pandemics. How influenza affects patients depends on a number of factors, including their immune system. For some individuals, unfortunately, influenza may result in an overreaction of the immune system, known as a ‘cytokine storm’.
Cytokines are one of the ways the body fight viruses. However, if the body releases too many of them at one time, they can get out of control. As such, instead of fighting just the invading disease, they also begin to destroy healthy tissue as well, leading in some cases to death.
This project will investigate whether particular variation in the type of genes a patient has increases the likelihood that they might experience a cytokine storm due to influenza infection. Once we can establish if genes play a part in over-reactive immune systems, we will be able to identify patients who are at risk. As such, our study could indicate if additional groups of people would benefit from vaccination and could also help us understand why otherwise healthy patients suffer with complicated, life threatening influenza infections.
Susceptibility to influenza runs within families, suggesting that there is a genetic component to this problem. While we know there is an association between severe influenza and a mutation found in part of the genetic system known as IFITM3, the work done in our laboratory indicates that the mutation of another gene, ATG16L1, could also predispose individuals to cytokine storms upon infection.
This project will ask whether patients being tested for influenza have gene variants in common. To do this we will need to take swabs from the nose, the cheek, and also blood samples from select individuals.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/PR/0381
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion