To study immune responses in COVID-19 patients, Paul Goepfert, M.D., professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, created a biospecimen repository with his Urgent COVID-19 Clinical Research and Laboratory Research grant.
Goepfert says that in the lab, “We study T cell responses that are induced following COVID-19 infection or vaccination and have stored samples from over 800 patients from which to undertake these studies.”
Early on, Goepfert’s goal was to enroll 100 patients, and now, his team has far exceeded that number. “Multiple investigators throughout UAB are utilizing the data and samples obtained from the COVID-19 Biorepository,” he says. “This will eventually lead to grant funding that will help support faculty, staff, and infrastructure at UAB.”
The future of the biorepository looks promising, as funding from multiple investigators is in pending status, and numerous projects are ongoing. Plus, “Several investigators are on a patent for a monoclonal antibody to treat COVID-19. This product is being developed as a possible inhaled therapy for COVID-19 patients,” Goepfert says.