Specific nasal cells protect against COVID-19 in children

Important differences in how the nasal cells of young and elderly people respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, could explain why children typically experience milder COVID-19 symptoms, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and the Wellcome Sanger Institute. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, focused on the early effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the cells first targeted by the viruses, the human nasal epithelial cells (NECs). These cells were donated from healthy participants from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), University College London Hospital (UCLH) and the Royal Free Hospital, including children (0-11 years), adults (30 – 50 years) and, for the first time, the elderly (over 70 years). The cells were then cultured using specialised techniques, allowing them to regrow into the different types of cells you originally find in the nose. Using single-cell RNA sequencing techniques that enable scientists to identify the unique genetic networks and functions of thousands of...