towards identification of serious forms of the virus from the onset of infection

The basis of this research is type I interferon (IFN-I), a protein secreted by the human body when we are infected with a virus.

In May 2020, researchers demonstrated the absence of IFN-I in the blood in 20% of patients hospitalized in intensive care for a severe form of Covid-19.

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Detection via PCR

“The novelty is that we are now able to detect type I interferon in the nose on the same swab as a PCR test” explains Dr Sophie Trouillet-Assant, researcher at the Hospices Civils de Lyon.

“This opens up two perspectives. First, better identification of people at risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19 and ultimately targeting subjects who could benefit from this potential treatment, because recombinant IFN can be administered ”. Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the study is the result of collaborative work between several research laboratories including HCL, Inserm and CNRS.

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