Immunological correlates of protection in COVID-19 disease and after COVID-19 vaccination

The newly emerged corona virus SARS-CoV-2 causing pandemic COVID-19 is still causing significant morbidity and mortality worldwide.

An important question is what immunological response to SARS-CoV-2 offers long-term protection against (re)infection and severe disease and how to accomplish such immunological protection.

This proposal aims to investigate immunological correlates of protection after COVID-19 disease as well as after COVID-19 vaccination using several approaches.

Longitudinal studies in COVID-19 patients across disease severity and longitudinal samples from a phase I/II clinical trial of a novel mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will be analyzed using advanced immunological (Sweden) and virological (China) assays.

In addition, non-human primates and human airway organoids will be used as physiologically relevant experimental models to study the mechanisms of pathogen- and vaccine-induced immune responses in detail.

Together, the Swedish and Chinese applicants constitute a unique combination of world-leading expertise from academia and industry on virology and immunology in viral pathogenesis and vaccination.

This cross-disciplinary approach to dissect a complex problem provides a platform for synergistic effects and increased likelihood of success beyond what each applicant could accomplish on their own.

We jointly commit to embark on this project to better understand the correlates of protection after natural SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as after COVID-19 vaccination.