We are not all equal in the face of the coronavirus. And for good reason, researchers have recently discovered that some people do not suffer from a severe form of the disease because they are carriers of a protective gene, called "OAS-1".
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| Covid-19: what if the development of a severe form was influenced by genetics |
Advanced age, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease… These different factors favor the occurrence of a serious form of Covid-19. However, it has happened that some people considered vulnerable, because they had comorbidities, had few symptoms and did not end up in intensive care after a coronavirus infection. But how to explain this difference in reaction according to the patients? Scientists have provided some answers in a study published in the journal Nature Genetics on January 13. They learned that some would carry a protective DNA fragment.
“Previous studies focusing primarily on people of European descent found that individuals carrying a particular DNA segment had a 20% reduced risk of developing severe Covid-19 infection,” it read. in a statement from McGill University in Canada.
The "OAS-1" gene would protect against severe forms
Based on his knowledge, the researchers examined the records of 20,779 hospitalized patients, including people of African and European descent. After this analysis, they found that the gene called "OAS-1" would prevent some patients from developing a severe form of Covid-19. In the presence of the coronavirus, this genetic segment would tell the body to make a protein to break down the virus. Previous work has shown that the longer the protein, the more efficient it is at breaking down SARS-CoV-2.
According to the results, 80% of people of African descent were carriers of the protective fragment. "The fact that people of African descent had the same protection allowed us to identify the segment of DNA that actually protects against Covid-19 infection," said study author Jennifer Huffman.
"This study shows how important it is to include people from different backgrounds. If we had only studied one group, we would not have been able to identify the DNA fragment," Hugo said. Zeberg, Swedish professor and author of the works. Brent Richard, a professor at McGill University, said this discovery was "essential for developing new drugs against Covid-19".
In addition to old age and certain underlying diseases, genetics can influence whether or not you are severely affected by COVID-19. Previous studies focusing primarily on people of European descent have found that people with a particular segment of DNA have a 20% lower risk of developing a critical form of COVID-19. This segment of DNA codes for immune system genes and is inherited from Neanderthals in about half of people outside Africa.
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