Researchers have uncovered the first gene linked to long COVID-19, according to early findings from a study involving 6,450 patients, Nature reported July 11. The findings could spearhead larger studies to develop treatments for the complex condition tied to more than 200 symptoms.
Findings published July 1 in the preprint server medRXiv suggest a DNA sequence near
a gene called FOXP4, found in the lungs and some immune cells, is a genetic risk factor for long COVID-19, and that a specific region of the genome is tied to a 1.6-fold higher risk of developing the condition. The research involved data from 6,450 people with lingering symptoms in 16 countries.
"There are several key topics which are essential for patients, including treatments and prevention," Stephanie Longet, PhD, immunologist at Jean Monnet University in France, told Nature. "When causes, maybe multifactorial, [are] clearly understood, it will help to treat patients who will be more susceptible to develop long COVID and potentially prevent long COVID."
The research was built off of previous work done as part of the global COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative — a long-term study where scientists have been looking into genetic factors associated with developing severe COVID-19 infections. In earlier work, the same gene has been associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19.
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