Research

COVID-19 Research

Title :

Identification of COVID-19 associated extracellular vesicles as a prognostic tool and an alternative to SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission

Area of research :

COVID-19 Research, Life Sciences & Biotechnology

Focus area :

COVID-19 Prognostics

Principal Investigator :

Dr Sukriti Sukriti, Assistant Professor, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi

Timeline Start Year :

2020

Timeline End Year :

2020

Contact info :

Details

Executive Summary :

This study hypothesises that EVs may serve as reservoirs of SARS–CoV-2, transmit COVID-19 infection to naïve cells and the EV associated SARS–CoV-2 RNA may also contribute in reactivation after the viral clearance.

Outcome/Output:

This study found in all confirmed positive COVID-19 patients that the nasal swabs also had extracellular vesicles (EV) associated viral RNA. Whereas it was undetected in the plasma in the same patients but it was positive in 1 per cent of patients with EV associated SARS–CoV-2 RNA. Interestingly, the EV associated were of endothelial cells as detected using flow cytometry.

Organizations involved