Complement system activation in severe COVID-19
Role of Complement Activation in Severe COVID-19
Researchers are testing whether blocking parts of the complement immune system can prevent blood vessel damage and dangerous blood clots in people with severe COVID-19.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176048 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses lab tools and a mouse model that gets severe COVID-19 to see if turning off specific complement proteins stops blood vessel injury, platelet activation, and clot formation that lead to organ damage. The team will apply newly developed agents to block or modify complement activation products and then measure effects on endothelial cells, platelets, thrombosis, and lung injury. They will use SARS-CoV-2–infected K18-hACE2 mice that develop ARDS and high mortality to test therapeutic approaches. Results are intended to point toward treatments that could be tested in people with severe COVID-19.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have had or are at high risk of severe COVID-19 with acute respiratory distress (ARDS) and blood clotting complications would be most relevant to potential therapies from this work.
Not a fit: People with mild COVID-19, long COVID without evidence of clotting or vascular injury, or non-COVID respiratory conditions may not directly benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that reduce vascular injury, clotting, and organ failure in patients with severe COVID-19.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and clinical observations implicate complement in severe COVID-19 and small early trials of complement inhibitors have shown mixed but sometimes promising signals, so this work builds on existing evidence by testing causality in controlled models.
Where this research is happening
New Orleans, United States
- Tulane University of Louisiana — New Orleans, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qin, Xuebin — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Qin, Xuebin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.