A pioneering research initiative at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), aims to unravel the complexities of long COVID utilizing cutting-edge total-body positron emission tomography (PET) imaging technology. This important project, developed in conjunction with UC San Francisco (UCSF), has secured a substantial grant of $3.2 million over four years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which operates under the National Institutes of Health. This financial endorsement showcases the critical nature of the inquiry into long COVID, a condition affecting a significant segment of COVID-19 survivors.
Long COVID affects approximately 10% of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, with symptoms that can endure for months or even years. The precise mechanisms underlying these persistent symptoms remain shrouded in mystery. However, existing research points to a correlation between these symptoms and the infiltration of activated immune T cells into various organs and tissues within the body. Additionally, investigators have observed that long COVID may be associated with damage to the endothelial lining of blood vessels, creating a complex interplay between inflammation and vascular health in post-viral syndromes.
Negar Omidvari, an accomplished assistant project scientist in the UC Davis Department of Biomedical Engineering, serves as the principal investigator for this essential research. She is set to employ total-body PET imaging technology, originally conceived by Professors Simon Cherry and Ramsey Badawi at UC Davis, coupled with rigorous kinetic modeling. The endeavor seeks to investigate two intertwined yet distinct processes occurring within long COVID patients—namely, the behaviors of activated T cells and the extent of vascular damage resulting from these immune responses.
One of the most revolutionary aspects of this study is the utilization of the uEXPLORER PET scanner, which has the unique capability to visualize the entire human body simultaneously. Traditional PET imaging generally targets isolated organs or specific body regions, but the uEXPLORER dramatically enhances the level of detail available by providing a holistic view of metabolic activities across the body. This advanced imaging approach will allow researchers to gain unprecedented insights into the physiological repercussions of long COVID.
Integral to this research is the application of a specialized tracer known as 18F-AraG, provided through a partnership with CellSight Technologies Inc. Based in San Francisco, this tracer marks activated T cells, enabling researchers to track their accumulation across various organs over time. Through dynamic total-body PET imaging combined with sophisticated modeling techniques, Omidvari and her team aim to identify the correlation between T cell activation and the sites of blood vessel damage. This exploration has the potential to reveal critical insights into whether these two phenomena are causatively linked or merely coincidental events in the broader context of long COVID.
Omidvari articulates an ambitious objective: by disentangling the vascular damage from the presence of activated T cells in tissues, the research team hopes to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying conditions that contribute to long COVID. The distinction between immune activation and vascular compromise may open new avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions, leading to improved outcomes for patients suffering from lingering COVID-related symptoms.
In addition to imaging, the research team will also analyze blood samples from participating patients to identify biomarkers associated with inflammation and immune activation. These biomarkers will be correlated with PET imaging data, providing a multi-faceted perspective on the dynamic interactions between the immune response and vascular health in long COVID patients. The integration of various data sources could elucidate pathways that either enhance or mitigate damage, yielding a nuanced appreciation of the consequences of the virus.
The study will involve patients drawn from UCSF’s dedicated long COVID program known as LIINC (Long-term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus). These patients will undergo PET scans at baseline, at four months, and again at eight months, allowing researchers to track changes and identify trends over time. For comparison, individuals who have fully recovered from COVID-19 and exhibit no lingering symptoms will be included as control subjects, further strengthening the research design.
This innovative approach represents a significant leap forward in our understanding of long COVID, a condition that has perplexed both research and medical communities since the pandemic’s onset. By honing in on the multifaceted roles of immune cells and vascular health, this project not only aims to paint a clearer picture of long COVID but could also pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies that address both immune dysregulation and vascular pathology.
Through this work, Omidvari and her colleagues aspire to contribute to the growing body of knowledge surrounding post-viral syndromes, potentially improving diagnostic criteria, treatment paradigms, and patient management strategies for millions affected by long COVID. The collaboration between departments, institutions, and private companies underscores the necessity for interdisciplinary approaches in tackling the multifarious challenges posed by COVID-19 and its lingering aftereffects on public health.
As the research progresses, ongoing communication with the broader community of scientists, healthcare providers, and patients will be vital in ensuring that these findings are translated into meaningful, actionable insights. Knowledge sharing, public engagement, and harnessing the latest technology will be instrumental in advancing our grasp of long COVID and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for those navigating this complex condition.
In summary, the journey to understand long COVID through advanced imaging techniques is only just beginning. Researchers are poised at the threshold of potentially transformative insights, reinforcing the importance of research funding and cross-institutional collaboration in addressing the pressing health issues emanating from the pandemic era.
Subject of Research: Long COVID and its effects on the immune system and vascular health
Article Title: Understanding Long COVID Through Total-Body PET Imaging
News Publication Date: October 2023
Web References: UC Davis, LIINC Study
References: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of California – Davis, University of California – San Francisco
Image Credits: None
Keywords
Long COVID, COVID-19, immunology, vascular health, biomedical engineering, PET imaging, chronic fatigue syndrome, radiology
Tags: biomedical engineering in medical researchcomplexities of long COVIDCOVID-19 persistent symptomsCOVID-19 survivor healthendothelial damage and long COVIDimmune T cells in long COVIDinflammation and vascular healthlong COVID researchNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grantpost-viral syndromes researchtotal-body PET imaging technologyUC Davis long COVID initiative
