Welsh scientists join UK effort to understand how the immune system responds during COVID-19

Evidence from the pandemic has shown that the immune system can help protect people from Covid-19, but it can also cause damage in severe disease.

Cardiff University’s School of Medicine and Systems Immunity Research Institute are part of a UK-wide effort to identify what makes a good or bad immune response to the virus.

The UK Covid-19 Immunology Consortium will also look at how factors like age can influence the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Professor Ian Humphreys who leads infection research at Cardiff University’s Systems Immunity University Research Institute said: “This research will generate vast insight into the good and bad aspects of immune responses to this virus.

“This information will be really important in designing new treatment strategies for Covid-19 patients and in the race for a safe and effective vaccine.”

The UK-wide consortium is supported by £6.5m funding from UKRI and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) announced today (Friday 28 August 2020).

Professor Awen Gallimore from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine added: “This is an exciting and vitally important national effort.

“We are joining the best immunologists in the country to help tackle Covid-19.

“This will enable us to gather information extremely quickly that will help us manage and reach the end of this global pandemic.”