{"id":3110,"date":"2023-03-17T15:19:31","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:19:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/lydia-becker-institute\/?p=3110"},"modified":"2023-03-17T15:21:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T15:21:37","slug":"malfunctioning-immune-cell-behaviour-could-be-drug-target-in-long-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/lydia-becker-institute\/2023\/03\/17\/malfunctioning-immune-cell-behaviour-could-be-drug-target-in-long-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"Malfunctioning immune cell behaviour could be drug target in Long COVID"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” fullwidth=”on” next_background_color=”#000000″ global_module=”322″][et_pb_fullwidth_menu global_parent=”322″ _builder_version=”3.0.106″ menu_id=”7″ submenu_direction=”downwards” fullwidth_menu=”off” background_layout=”dark” module_class=”main-navigation” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”on” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#1d1d1d”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ specialty_columns=”2″][et_pb_row_inner locked=”off”][et_pb_column_inner type=”4_4″ saved_specialty_column_type=”2_3″][et_pb_post_title _builder_version=”3.0.106″ title=”on” meta=”on” author=”on” date=”on” categories=”on” comments=”on” featured_image=”on” featured_placement=”above” text_color=”dark” text_background=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_layout=”light” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Greater Manchester Researchers have shown for the first time that malfunctioning behaviour of a type of immune cell is linked to specific symptoms of long- COVID.<\/p>\n

The team was from The University of Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA), and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)\u00a0Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).<\/p>\n

Normally functioning monocytes, made in the bone marrow, would travel through the blood to the lungs where they surround and kill the virus and boosts the immune response.<\/p>\n

However, \u00a0scientists and clinicians\u00a0discovered that in long-COVID, abnormal migration of these cells corresponds to the most commonly reported symptom, shortness of breath. A different migration profile alongside changes to other functions correspond to fatigue.<\/p>\n

The unique monocyte signatures defining subgroups of long COVID patients reveal new pathways that could targeted for novel therapeutic opportunities in long COVID patients.<\/p>\n

The study is published today (16\/03\/23) in the European Respiratory Journal .<\/p>\n

The patients were recruited to the study between July 2020 and January 2021.<\/p>\n

They included 71 hospitalised patients with acute COVID-19 and 142 follow-up patients attending outpatient clinics months after hospital discharge from COVID-19, across Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and the Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust.<\/p>\n

Using blood samples, they examined key monocyte migratory signatures in acute disease that persisted into convalescence up to nine months following hospital discharge.<\/p>\n

\n

Our work finding a link between monocyte function and specific long COVID symptoms may provide an important first step on the road to possible treatments.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr Elizabeth Mann<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The hospitalised patients were arranged into mild, moderate and severe disease based on their oxygen requirements.<\/p>\n

Patients on acute non-invasive ventilation, invasive ventilation and admission to intensive care automatically led to classifying patients as having severe disease.<\/p>\n

Healthy blood samples were obtained from frontline workers at the University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and examined alongside patient samples.<\/p>\n

At outpatient review, patients undertook rigorous questionnaires which assessed whether they had increased levels of breathlessness and\/or fatigue, and if this was new since SARS-Cov-2 infection.<\/p>\n

Unique monocyte profiles distinguished long COVID patients with shortness of breath and unresolved lung injury from those with ongoing fatigue, and from asymptomatic patients.<\/p>\n

The study was funded by The Wellcome Trust, the Royal Society, The Medical Research Council, The Kennedy Trust for Rheumatology Research, The Lister Institute, BBSRC and UKRI.<\/p>\n

Dr Elizabeth Mann, Wellcome Trust\/Royal Society Sir Henry Dale Fellow at The University of Manchester\u2019s\u00a0<\/a>Lydia Becker Institute\u00a0<\/a>said: \u201cThere is now a wealth of evidence indicating that chronic morbidity persists in many COVID-19 patients during convalescence manifesting as long COVID which remains a global public health problem despite vaccination programmes and milder strains of SARS-CoV-2.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese debilitating symptoms including extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, myalgia, brain fog, depression, fibrotic lung disease and pulmonary vascular disease and we now know this can last for many months or even years following infection.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut treatment options for long COVID are currently limited since the development of targeted therapeutic strategies requires an in-depth understanding of the underlying immunological pathophysiology.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur work finding a link between monocyte function and specific long COVID symptoms may provide an important first step on the road to possible treatments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor of Inflammatory Disease, Tracy Hussell is \u00a0Programme Lead in the Next Generation Phenotyping and Diagnostics Theme at NIHR Manchester BRC and Director of the Lydia Becker Institute at The University of Manchester<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cThis study, led by Dr Mann’s team, is a prime example of the \u2018one Manchester\u2019 approach that provides seamless integration between clinicians and scientists under the umbrella of our NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and the generosity of our patient population.\u201d<\/p>\n

The paper Monocyte migration profiles define disease severity in acute COVID-19 and unique features of long COVID is published in the European Respiratory Journal\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=”3.0.106″ in_same_term=”off” show_prev=”on” show_next=”on” prev_text=”Previous” next_text=”Next” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”3.0.106″ show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” header_font_size_tablet=”51″ header_line_height_tablet=”2″ custom_button=”on” button_icon_placement=”right” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_use_icon=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related posts” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ background_layout=”light” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n

Related<\/h1>\n

Related posts:<\/h3>
<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>

395 million COVID vaccines said to have 50.4% efficacy. Now what?<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

Inflammatory Remarks with Caetano Reis e Sousa<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>

The Day Ardwick Stood Still - Ardwick Climate Action<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”3.0.106″ area=”sidebar-1″ orientation=”left” show_border=”off” background_layout=”light” locked=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Connect Title” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” _builder_version=”3.0.90″ background_color=”#1d1d1d” module_class=”footer-section” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” global_module=”380″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” global_parent=”380″ locked=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” parallax_3=”off” parallax_method_3=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” make_equal=”off” module_id=”footer-row” _builder_version=”3.0.89″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us Title” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_text_color=”#ffffff” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n

Contact Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us” global_parent=”380″ text_text_color=”#aaaaaa” parent_locked=”off” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” module_class=”contact-us” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n

+44 (0)161 306 3771<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Find Us Title” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_text_color=”#ffffff” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n

Find Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Address” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” module_id=”address” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n

Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation
<\/a>Core Technology Facility\u00a0
46 Grafton Street
M13 9NT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Connect Title” global_parent=”380″ background_layout=”dark” text_text_color=”#ffffff” parent_locked=”off” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_size=”initial”]<\/p>\n

Connect With Us<\/h4>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=”Social Media” global_parent=”380″ parent_locked=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n