NYU Abu Dhabi researchers discover why COVID-19 affects people differently

ABU DHABI, UAE (June 12): A research team at NYU Abu Dhabi, led by Associate Professor of Biology Youssef Idaghdour, in collaboration with clinicians at several Abu Dhabi hospitals, has studied microRNAs, a class of small RNAs. Molecule) Regulatory Genes and COVID-19 Severity in 259 Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients in Abu Dhabi. The team identified microRNAs associated with weakened immune responses and ICU admission.

In the process, they produced the first genomic map of the microRNA structure in the blood of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients from the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, a population that has been underrepresented in genomic studies. The researchers identified microRNA changes early in infection that are associated with specific blood characteristics and immune cell death, allowing the virus to evade the immune system and proliferate.

The systematic genetics findings show that a patient’s genetic makeup can influence immune function and disease severity, providing new insights into how to improve patient outcomes and treatments. Given the diversity of the sample, these findings are expected to apply to the approximately 30% of the world’s population living in the MENA region and South Asia.

in the title Systems genetics identifies miRNA-mediated regulation of host responses to COVID-19 Publishing in the journal Human Genomics, the research team presents the results of an analysis of multi-omics datasets — genotypes, miRNA and mRNA expression of patients at admission, and phenotypes from electronic health records. The researchers analyzed the expression levels of 62 clinical variables and 632 miRNAs measured at admission and identified 97 miRNAs associated with eight blood phenotypes that were significantly associated with ICU admission.

“These findings advance our understanding of why some patients are more resistant to COVID-19 than others,” Idaghdour said. “This study shows that microRNAs are promising biomarkers of disease severity and, more broadly, , is a target for therapeutic intervention. The methods of this study can be applied to other populations to further understand how gene regulation serves as a central mechanism affecting the severity of COVID-19 and possibly other infections.”

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NYU Abu Dhabi is the Middle East’s first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus operated overseas by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi combines a highly selective program with majors in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, arts and humanities, and features a world-class center for advanced study. Its campuses equip students to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and foster collaboration and progress to meet humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s top students come from some 125 countries and speak more than 100 languages. Together, NYU’s campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, offering faculty and students the opportunity to experience diverse learning environments at one or more of the many study abroad locations NYU has And opportunities to immerse yourself in other cultures on six continents.