Mechanisms of multi-organ failure in SARS-CoV2 [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Multi-organ failure in SARS-CoV2: identifying mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets
IRAS ID
283783
Contact name
Sanooj Soni
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
In the United Kingdom, there are currently 138,000 confirmed patients with coronavirus, causing 18,738 deaths. Whilst the disease may be mild in the majority of patients, a significant proportion of patients require intensive care therapy and a ventilator due to lung injury. In addition to lung injury/failure (acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)), around 50% of patients admitted to intensive care develop acute kidney injury (low urine output/rise in creatinine requiring support via haemofiltration) and multi-organ failure.\n\nIt is unclear why patients suffering from COVID-19 develop such severe lung injury, requiring life support/ventilation or indeed why patients develop other organ dysfunction such as kidney injury. We hypothesise that this may due to an over-reaction of the immune system particularly in the lungs. This then results in the release of various mediators and biological messengers which can be pushed into the blood bloodstream, exacerbated by positive pressure generated by the ventilator. We predict that these mediators will travel, via the blood, to other organs such as the kidney where they cause inflammation and injury of cells, resulting in organ failure.\n\nAt the Imperial College London (specifically at the Hammersmith Hospital campus) we are in the unique position to investigate the pathophysiology of multi-organ failure. We are a referral centre for patients with COVID-19 who have developed renal and multi-organ failure and have accepted a number of these patients from various hospitals across the region. Our research group, headed by Professor Masao Takata, has an international reputation, investigating the mechanisms of organ injury and failure (particularly lung injury) in critical care patients (non-viral causes). We would like to apply our well-established methods to try and further the scientific community’s knowledge of this severe and deadly viral condition. We hope that this would lead to the development of medication that would treat this deadly virus.
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0153
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jun 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion