In a world-first, London-based researchers are attempting to use a human protein to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients with sepsis.
The team of scientists from the Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University has launched a clinical trial of the protein called annexin A5 with 60 patients at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
“There are no proven therapies to treat COVID-19,” Dr. Claudio Martin, associate scientist at Lawson and intensive care physician at LHSC, said in a statement. “In the most severe cases, it’s complicated by hyperinflammation that can lead to sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ failure.”
Annexin A5 is a human protein that has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
For the clinical trial, Martin and his team will give patients either a manufactured form of annexin A5 at two different doses or a placebo.
“The ultimate goal is to determine whether this drug reduces hyperinflammation associated with sepsis in order to prevent respiratory and multi-organ failure,” said Martin, who is also optimistic the protein will prevent cell death and blood clots associated with COVID-19.
The study is the first in the world to use annexin A5 as a potential sepsis treatment in humans and builds on findings from a preclinical trial by Lawson Scientist Dr. Qingping Feng. A team lead by Feng previously found annexin A5 can hinder inflammation and improve organ function and survival of sepsis in animal models.
Sepsis develops when the body's response to chemicals released to fight infection is out of balance, triggering hyperinflammation and potentially damaging multiple organs.
If the treatment proves successful in COVID-19 patients, the clinical trial could be expanded to other medical facilities.
The study is one of three being conducted by Lawson Health Research Institute and Western University that received a financial boost from the province's $20-million COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund last week.
Scientists working on the second study aim to develop a point-of-care blood test for COVID-19 to identify infected individuals, including those without symptoms. They plan to use epitopes, a peptide fragment on the virus that evokes an immune response in humans, to rapidly devise the blood test.
"The antibody test enabled by multiple epitopes is potentially more sensitive and specific than tests that rely on a single viral protein,” said Shawn Li, a professor at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and scientist at Lawson. “This funding allows us to put together a team of basic researchers and clinician scientists... to work on the various aspects of the project with the common goal of developing a serologic test suitable for point-of-care use as quickly as possible.”
According to Li, epitopes identification is necessary to devise strategies for the production of virus-neutralizing antibodies to treat the severely ill and for the development of a vaccine for COVID-19.
The third study out of the London-based research facilities to receive provincial funds looks at the impact of modified operating conditions for retail food outlets.
Led by Lawson Scientists Jason Gilliland, the research team will examine the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 in southwestern Ontario by identifying what businesses were forced to modify operations, temporarily or permanently close, and how it has affected businesses and their employees.
"The project outputs are expected to help inform policies and programs that will maintain Ontario’s food security, incentivize economic growth during the recovery period, and improve health and economic resiliency among businesses and employees to future pandemics and emergencies," said Gilliland.
Researchers will rapidly collect and continuously update data from surveys being conducted as part of the study.
