Long Covid study finds gut immune system struggling to clear lingering virus
The immune abnormalities were much more pronounced in intestinal tissue than in blood, suggesting blood tests may miss important biological changes occurring inside tissues.
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has launched a new program called VIPER (Viral Immunopathogenesis and Persistence Repeat Donor Cohort) to quickly identify potential biomarkers for Long COVID. This initiative, funded with a $1.35 million donation from the PolyBio Research Foundation, aims to accelerate the search for noninvasive tests that can be used in clinical trials.
VIPER will initially focus on biomarkers related to viral persistence, with a cohort of 150 participants, 100 experiencing Long COVID and 50 who had COVID-19 but recovered. If promising, these tests will be expedited for clinical trials and widespread use. Long COVID's diverse symptoms and complex presentations have made the search for biomarkers extremely challenging.
Historically, the rapid development of HIV diagnostic tests after its discovery in 1985 served as a model for quick advancements in medical diagnostics. However, Long COVID has lagged behind in this regard, with no reliable and useful biological tests yet identified.
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- VIPER aims to fast track Long COVID biomarkers. Here’s how it works. thesicktimes.org
- 27% of UK health care workers report long COVID symptoms medicalxpress.com
