Nature's Confused Weirdness of COVID: Common Genetic Variants Related to Mortality

New research may explain why some people with COVID-19 have only mild flu-like symptoms, while others have a serious illness
that can lead to death.

In their latest study, scientists showed that mice with genetic variants previously linked to Alzheimer's disease were at greater
risk of death when infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.

Dr Sohail Tavazoie, an academic at the Howard Hughes Institute for Medical Research and head of the Meyer Laboratory of Systems Cancer Biology at Rockefeller University, said: "It is clear that age, gender and certain prerequisites, such as diabetes, increase the risk of harmful outcomes, but these factors do not fully explain the scope of
COVID outcomes.

Observe APOE up close

In previous studies, Tavazoie's lab studied a gene called APOE, which plays an important role
in cancer metastasis.

The APOE gene provides instructions
for making a protein called apolipoprotein E.

Just one or two amino acids will work
.

In addition, mice carrying APOE2 and APOE4 replicated more of the virus in their lungs and showed more
signs of inflammation and tissue damage.

For clinical practice

Next, the lab began a retrospective study
of humans.

Tavazoie stressed that there is no evidence that 40 percent of people who carry only one of these alleles have an increased
risk of disease.

Going forward, Tavazoie wants to see prospective research
on the link between APOE and different COVID outcomes.

If future studies confirm a link between APOE and COVID outcomes, clinicians may recommend priority vaccinations, enhancers, and antiviral therapy
for individuals carrying APOE4 or APOE2.

They plan to further investigate how APOE interacts
with various biological systems.

Common germline genetic variants of APOE impact COVID-19 mortality" by Benjamin N.