Molecular analysis of the T cell response to COVID-19 infection [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of the T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection using molecular analysis of the T cell receptor.
IRAS ID
288410
Contact name
Alasdair Fraser
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 24 days
Research summary
The recent outbreak of COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has shown that there is an unmet need for effective treatments for patients who are significantly affected by the virus. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has wide experience in making clinical products from donor blood and tissues, and already has access to donors who have recovered from COVID-19 infection. The SNBTS is developing a new treatment using specific white blood cells isolated from recovered patients. These white blood cells (known as T cells) are the main mechanism that the body uses to fight off the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
We want to investigate these SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells to understand how they fight off the disease, and why some patients have more severe symptoms than others. We will investigate how the T cells recognise and respond to the virus and whether some donors are likely to be better than others for making the new T cell therapy.REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EM/0261
Date of REC Opinion
19 Oct 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion