# Examining COVID-19 in Down Syndrome Patients Using Human iPSC-Derived Organoids

> **NIH NIH R01** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $668,755

## Abstract

Project Summary
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has infected more than 20 million
people worldwide as of August 2020 and significantly altered our way of life. Despite its relative low case-fatality
rate, the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can cause serious illness in people with pre-existing conditions
like individuals with Down Syndrome (DS). It is projected that SARS-CoV-2 can cause 8.9-fold increased risk of
COVID-19 related hospitalization and deaths in DS patients, yet we have limited experimental resource to
understand the basic mechanisms underlying differential disease susceptibility and progression. Here we
propose to use i) human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), ii) tissue-like organoids, iii) live SARS-CoV-2
virus and iv) serum collected from COVID-19 patients. We will generate 40 iPSC-derived organoids from DS and
non-DS individuals and infect them with SARS-CoV-2. We will focus on two major clinical manifestations
commonly observed in COVID-19 patients with critical conditions: viral myocarditis and severe pulmonary
inflammation. For Aim 1, we will generate cardiac organoids composing of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes,
endothelial cells, and cardiac fibroblasts to assess their functional and structural changes after SARS-CoV-2
infection. For Aim 2, we will generate lung organoids composing of iPSC-derived lung epithelial cells, endothelial
cells, alveolar macrophages, and identify an inflammatory signature after SARS-CoV-2 infection. For both Aims,
we will perform single cell RNA sequencing to identify differential gene response among different cell types which
contribute to phenotypic changes following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10241207
- **Project number:** 3R01HL126527-06S1
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lei Stanley Qi
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $668,755
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-02-01 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10241207

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10241207, Examining COVID-19 in Down Syndrome Patients Using Human iPSC-Derived Organoids (3R01HL126527-06S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10241207. Licensed CC0.

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