Caracterização de fatores de risco intrínsecos e o desenvolvimento de novas alternativas de diagnóstico e tratamento para COVID-19 [Google Translate : Characterization of intrinsic risk factors and the development of new diagnostic and treatment alternatives for COVID-19]

The arrival of SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil in March 2020 had a negative impact on the economy, generated panic in the population and disrupted our country's public and private health systems. It is evident the need for methods of rapid diagnosis / prognosis and alternative therapies that help to face this pandemic in our country. Thus, this multidisciplinary project, which involves researchers from several units at Unicamp and other research institutions in Brazil and abroad, aims to use clinical specimens (nasopharyngeal swab, serum and frozen whole blood) already used in the diagnosis and other routine examinations and stored at the Clinical Pathology Laboratory of HC to: (1) Assess the circulation and genetic diversity of Covid-19 in Campinas; (2) Search for biomarkers that help us in the rapid diagnosis or in the prediction of fatal cases, using methodologies of proteomics, metabolomics and multiplex immunoassays; (3) Identify new antivirals through the repositioning of drugs already approved for use in humans, in addition to the discovery of new drug candidates, by computer screening tests and antiviral activity test in cell culture in a level 3 biological containment laboratory.