Our response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Systems Immunity University Research Institute (SIURI) researchers have mobilized in response to coronavirus (COVID-19).
We have been working with colleagues in NHS Wales, Public Health Wales and Welsh Government and have played important roles in UK-wide initiatives in virus sequencing and understanding the role of the immune system during coronavirus (COVID-19), amongst a wide range of research activities.
Understanding the immune system during COVID-19
SIURI scientists made major contributions to coronavirus COVID19 immunology-related research, gaining new insight into how the immune system functions during SARS-CoV-2 infection, investigating new therapeutic strategies to modulate the immune response in severe COVID patients, and developing diagnostics designs to detect whether individuals have mounted immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.
Researchers involved
- Professor Paul Morgan
- Dr Richard Stanton
- Dr Eddie Wang
- Professor David Price
- Professor Ian Humphreys
- Professor Awen Gallimore
- Professor Peter Ghazal
- Professor Andy Sewell
Media links
- Covid patients at 'death's door' recovering with immune system drugs, scientists say - The Telegraph
- Coronavirus: Immunity may be more widespread than tests suggest - BBC News
- Welsh scientists join UK effort to understand how the immune system responds during Covid-19.
Research activities
Examining immune responses in asymptomatic individuals
We are performing a national Core Study (in collaboration with Nottingham and Cambridge), coordinating COVID-19 asymptomatic testing programmes in university settings nationally, including the Cardiff University qPCR pipeline, providing insight on acquired immunity across the student population.
Researchers involved - Andrew Westwell, Andy Godkin, Awen Gallimore and Tomasz Jurkowski
Studying COVID vaccinations
Protecting the most vulnerable individuals is a key priority for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination strategy. We are examining the effect of vaccination on both SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell and antibody responses in cancer patients, in collaboration with the Velindre University NHS Trust and the Wales Cancer Bank
Researchers involved - Awen Gallimore, Andrew Godkin, Mererid Evans and Alison Parry-Jones.
With the Wales Kidney Research Unit, we are studying vaccine-induced immune responses in renal dialysis patients.
Researchers involved - Argiris Asderakis, Stephen Jolles, Ian Humphreys and Soma Meran.
Tracking and attacking SARS-CoV-2
We have made major contributions to national efforts, as part of the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium, tracking SARS-CoV-2.
We have participated in local efforts in establishing the Cardiff University PCR pipeline for asymptomatic testing of our staff and students, to help detect SARS-CoV-2 infections. We have also developed strategies for controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection, investigating whether mouthwash can be exploited to control SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Researchers involved - Valerie O’Donnell, David Thomas, Richard Stanton and Thomas Connor.
Multi-morbidity and predicting outcome
Beyond immunology, SIURI researchers have made significant impact in understanding how other diseases and conditions, termed multi-morbidity, impacts on COVID-19 severity. We have investigated whether we can predict clinical outcome of COVID-19 by early biomarkers.
Researchers involved - Matthias Eberl, Jon Underwood, Stephen Jolles, Simon Jones and Ian Humphreys.
Dealing with the information pandemic
Working with researchers in Oxford University, we have established a literature review system for immunology-related COVID-19 scientific literature.
The initiative, driven by PhD students and postdocs has led to the development of ‘Living Reviews’, which enable constant updating to keep up with the ever-changing research topic of COVID-19.
The reviews are available in the new open access journal of the Oxford University Press (OUP), Oxford Open Immunology.
