Origin, a project of the Mario Negri Institute, received an important contribution from Fondazione Pesenti during its initial phase. The study, launched in 2020, aims to investigate the genetic causes of susceptibility to and severity of Covid-19. The idea originates from researchers at the Aldo and Cele Daccò Center of the Mario Negri Institute in Bergamo, which has long been committed to studying genetic defects underlying diseases.
Project Origin is a unique experience of its kind. No other center in the world has carried out such an extensive and in-depth investigation within a single area. In the province of Bergamo, the research involved 9,700 people who responded to questionnaires regarding their health conditions in relation to possible coronavirus infection. Now the research, explains Marina Noris, head of the Mario Negri laboratory dedicated to rare diseases, has entered its decisive phase. “We are summoning nearly 1,200 people to our Ranica location,” she explains. “They are homogeneous groups of three—individuals very similar in age and physical condition—of whom one became severely ill with Covid, another experienced a very mild or asymptomatic case, and the third was never infected. We will conduct clinical tests and compare their DNA.” The goal is to understand whether the different severity of the disease has genetic roots. “There has been much speculation about why the pandemic had such a severe impact in the Val Seriana; we may discover that genetic factors are involved. This would help us understand who needs better protection from infection,” says Giuseppe Remuzzi, Director of the Mario Negri Institute.
The work began in autumn 2020 with online questionnaires, starting in Nembro, Alzano, and Albino, then expanding to the entire province. Now comes the phase of patient triads and genetic mapping, which will also explore fascinating details. For example, the presence of traces of Neanderthal genetic heritage which, according to previously published studies, might explain in some cases the predisposition to develop severe forms of the disease, and in others, a stronger immune response. The DNA analysis phase will be completed in the autumn.
The study aims to identify who is most at risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19 and, therefore, should be more protected from exposure to the virus. Among the goals: to develop early therapies for the most vulnerable categories.
INSIGHTS