Dr Paweł Zawadzki from the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań is the co-author of the publication “Inborn errors of type I IFN immunity in patients with life-threatening COVID-19”. The text that appeared in the journal “Science” describes the first results of research provided by the consortium “The COVID Human Genetic Effort”.

The research concerns the genetic determinants of the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Scientists try to figure out how it is possible that the infection sometimes does not cause symptoms and sometimes is lethal. Initial results indicate that specific genetic variants may lead to a faulty immune response in the body, resulting in the life-threatening pneumonia.

The consortium “The COVID Human Genetic Effort” of 200 institutions from all over the world includes a laboratory of the Department of Molecular Biophysics of the University of Poznań and the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration in Warsaw.