COVID R PA-18-591 NOT-AI-20-031 Administrative Supplement to Integrated Exchange and Storage of Current- and Future-Generation Immunogenomic Data

While little is known about the impact of host genetic factors on the risk for infection, morbidity and mortality inCOVID-19, current epidemiology reveals wide variation in disease course among confirmed cases of infectionthat is not fully explained by known comorbidities and other risk factors. Because of its pivotal role in the immuneresponse and long-established associations with disease phenotypes, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)variation will likely be found to play a key role in COVID-19 outcomes. Understanding the role of HLA variationwill provide important insights relevant to the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19, while also informing vaccinedevelopment and potential immunotherapies (e.g. T-cell based therapies). Because the complexity and extremepolymorphism of the HLA region make consolidation, equivalency, analysis, and biological interpretation of HLAdata challenging, it is our view that a centralized resource that aggregates data from disparate sources andplatforms and provides well-curated bioinformatics and analytical tools will serve to accelerate discovery. Underthe parent grant we continue to develop a suite of tools and programs for the standardized analysis, collection,exchange and storage of immunogenetic data, and these tools are being widely adopted by the immunogeneticscommunity. This supplement request will allow us to apply these tools toward the development and applicationof a pair of web resources. The first will centralize access to COVID-19-related HLA data and HLA data-management and analysis tools, creating a knowledge base and technical resource for HLA and immunogeneticsresearch on the COVID-19 pandemic. As an initial step in advancing this vision, we have launched thehlacovid19.org website. The second resource will connect COVID-19 researchers and clinicians in need of HLAtyping services with the immunogenetics laboratories that can provide them. As an early step toward this goal,we have formed the COVID-19 HLA & Immunogenetics Consortium to unite the global community of HLA andimmunogenetics experts and leaders in support of these efforts, and harness the collective experience andexpertise of the HLA and immunogenetics community as part of the global effort to combat this pandemic.