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Lead
Parc de Salut Mar
With
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Background: The essential micronutrient zinc balances immune responses to infections and additionally directly inhibits some viruses. The investigators have recently shown a robust correlation between serum zinc levels (SZL)and COVID-19 outcome in patients and a direct effect of zinc levels on SARS-CoV-2 expansion in cell culture.These results suggest that SZL might represent an important risk factor for COVID-19 severity whose adjustment would constitute an early and cost-effective therapeutic intervention.
Objectives: To explore the therapeutic benefit of zinc supplementation for COVID-19 patients and to determine the cellular and molecular basis of the effect of zinc levels on SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Methodology: A randomized clinical trial supplementing COVID-19 patients with zinc will be carried out and viral loads, inflammatory and novel zinc-related clinical markers and SARS-CoV-2-specific T- and B-cell Responses monitored. Humanized-ACE2-mice models will be used to address causal-effect associations between zinc levels and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Infections of human Calu-3 cells will be used to decipher the direct antiviral action of zinc on SARS-CoV-2 life cycle. Expected results: The investigators will generate a clear insight into zinc functioning in COVID-19 patients that might provide a therapeutic guideline immediately applicable to reduce the severity of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity and possibly other virus infections.
