Identifying biomarker signatures of prognostic value for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACTIn adults, SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibits a wide range of clinical outcomes, from asymptomatic and mild diseaseto severe viral pneumonia, respiratory distress, acute kidney injury, thrombotic disorders, and serious cardiac,cerebrovascular and vascular complications.

Severe infection can also occur both in children and young adults(< 21), and a significant proportion of children admitted with Covid-19 require ICU support, frequently includingmechanical ventilation.

In addition, children and adolescents with initially asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infectionhave presented with a rare, but very severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).

Epidemiologic, clinicaland laboratory predictors of progression towards severe forms of acute infection with SARS-CoV-2 and MIS-Care thus urgently needed in the fight against Covid-19 in this population.

As defined in the NIH RapidAcceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) program, biomarker discovery can enable risk stratification and guideinterventional studies to target Covid-19 patients at enhanced risk of developing complications and/or severedisease.

To target this discovery initiative, herein we will use a battery of biological, immunological and moleculartests, including Grating-Coupled Fluorescence Plasmonic (GCFP) and advanced flow cytometry, to studychildren and young adults (