# Early life B cell responses and inflammation following SARS-CoV-2 infection

> **NIH NIH R01** · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · 2022 · $762,710

## Abstract

Abstract
As of March 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has caused more than 50 million infections and 2 million
deaths, constituting an unprecedented pandemic in the modern world. While infected individuals
rapidly develop IgG responses against the viral Spike after infection, some studies have
indicated that individuals with mild infection generate weaker neutralizing Ab responses
compared to those with severe disease. The durability of the immune response following natural
infection and its afforded protection against subsequent infections and emerging related variants
remain unclear. Interestingly, unlike other respiratory viruses, children are rarely develop severe
disease following SARS CoV-2 infection. Antibody responses in hospitalized children and those
who developed the multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) have been characterized, but,
there is a gap in knowledge of the magnitude, quality, durability, and breadth of antibody
responses in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic children, responses that may contribute to
making children less susceptible to severe infection compared to adults. Moreover, the
possibiltiy of reinfection or infection with a novel variant in previously-infected children is not
known, making the possibility of restarting congregate settings for children without a childhood
vaccine quite challenging. Our overarching goal is to characterize the kinetics, function,
breadth, and durability of humoral immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection across
the pediatric age spectrum in comparison to that of adults. We hypothesize that pediatric
immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection is distinct from that of adults, and associates with
protection against symptomatic disease and durability of immunity. Using samples from two
unique ongoing community studies of SARS-CoV-2 infections in adults and children, we will test
our hypothesis through the following aims: 1) Define the similarities and differences in the
kinetics, magnitude, specificity, function and durability of SARS-CoV-2-specific Ab responses in
children and adults; 2) Investigate the breadth and potency of antibody responses in SARS-
CoV-2-infected children against established and predicted variants of SARS-CoV-2; and 3)
Define the SARS-CoV-2-specific B cell repertoire and characterize the potency of pediatric
SARS CoV-2-specific monoclonal antibodies. These evaluations will identify immune correlates
of protection against severe disease and provide insights for immunization strategies towards
the long term control of SARS CoV-2 which will likely become an endemic pathogen.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10692462
- **Project number:** 7R01AI161008-02
- **Recipient organization:** WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** Genevieve Giny Fouda Amou ou
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $762,710
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2021-09-17 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10692462

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10692462, Early life B cell responses and inflammation following SARS-CoV-2 infection (7R01AI161008-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10692462. Licensed CC0.

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