Claire Fleming, MS
Targeting an Immune Signal That Drives Severe Disease in COVID-19
Summary
In response to an infection, the immune system activates to clear the invading infectious agent. However, if too strongly activated, the immune response can itself cause tissue damage and disease. Such is the case in COVID-19, where an overactive immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus can further damage the lungs and drive severe disease. Our research is focused on understanding the signals that lead to an overactive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Specifically, we are focused on a protein called interleukin-33 (IL-33). IL-33 is released from damaged cells and robustly activates immune pathways in the lungs. Using a mouse model of COVID-19, we have found that blocking IL-33 signaling is protective. My future research seeks to determine how IL-33 drives severe disease, furthering our understanding of this important and therapeutically relevant pathway in COVID-19.
I am honored to have been awarded a PhRMA Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery. This fellowship will support my career development and my continued research investigating immunomodulatory therapies for severe COVID-19.
