Prognostic biomarkers for severity of disease in SARS CoV-2 and metabolic syndrome

What area of diabetes research does your project cover? What role will this particular project play in preventing, treating and/or curing diabetes? My research proposal focuses on the relationship between metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, and the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people worldwide and caused over 500,000 deaths worldwide with over 130,000 deaths in the U.S. alone (as of July 2020). Emerging data suggest high risk groups may exist such as those with obesity and diabetes mellitus, yet clinical trials have not begun targeting these at-risk patients due to the need for further research. Obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia make up the essential components of the metabolic syndrome, and are extremely prevalent in the American population, particularly in Louisiana, where over one out of every three (36.8%) residents are considered obese ranking Louisiana among the top ten states for adult obesity. Similar numbers are seen for diabetes with almost 12% (more than 500,000) of Louisiana residents aware that they have diabetes and another 5% with prediabetes. A subset of COVID-19 patients are at risk for developing severe disease often resulting in severe lung inflammation. Obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome are associated with a chronic low-grade inflammation predominantly manifested in elevated serum biomarker levels. Additionally, we know that acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), the most common manifestation of severe COVID-19, is associated with a similar inflammatory biomarker profile. Thus, there is a critical need to determine the prognostic value of these biomarkers in COVID-19 patients presenting with ARDS and metabolic syndrome. With successful completion of the proposed work, we expect to have identified metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for severe disease in COVID-19 as well as the nature of the inflammatory profile predisposing these patients to worse outcomes. These results are expected to have an important positive impact on precision treatment strategies by identifying a group of patients who may benefit from early intervention, particularly those with metabolic syndrome and diabetes. If a person with diabetes were to ask you how your project will help them in the future, how would you respond? My project has the ability to impact people with diabetes by clarifying the relationship between metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and COVID-19. By understanding the association of disease severity in COVID-19 and metabolic syndrome, we will be able to predict who may suffer the most if infected with COVID-19 and help to protect these patients from disease exposure. Additionally, by understanding the biomarker profile of these patients, we hope to describe a population that could be targeted for clinical trials to potentially discover a treatment for this life-threatening illness. Why is it important for you, personally, to become involved in diabetes research? What role will this award play in your research efforts? Diabetes (including type 1, type 2, and gestational) is a disease that has personally affected many of my immediate family members and continues to be an ongoing issue in my life. Furthermore, as a physician-scientist working in the intensive care unit, I have seen first hand the effects of COVID-19 and who this disease affects the most. Unfortunately, it is my hypothesis that diabetes predisposes patients to greater severity of illness, particularly diabetic patients who also suffer with obesity, hypertension, or hyperlipidemia. Because of these concerning observations and the high rate of diabetes in my family, this area of research has become a priority for me as I want to help prevent severe disease for patients with diabetes not only within my family but also around the world. This award will be a launching point for my research efforts into COVID-19 and metabolic disease with the hope to continue to learn and help those suffering from these disease processes. In what direction do you see the future of diabetes research going? I believe diabetes research will continue to evolve into a personalized approach depending on the type of disease one exhibits. Diabetes is a complex disease process and its relationship with other concomitant conditions, such as those seen with metabolic syndrome, may ultimately require a tailored approach. With my proposal, I hope we can contribute to the field of knowledge as this area of research grows.