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Immune-Epithelial Cell Cross-Talk Enhances Antiviral Responsiveness to SARS-CoV-2 in Children

ABSTRACT: The risk of developing severe COVID-19 rises dramatically with age. Schoolchildren are significantly less likely than older people to die from SARS-CoV-2 infection, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this age-dependence are unknown. In primary infections, innate immunity is critical due to the lack of immune memory. Children, in particular, have a significantly stronger interferon response due to a primed state of their airway epithelium. In single-cell transcriptomes of nasal turbinates, we find increased frequencies of immune cells and stronger cytokine-mediated interactions with epithelial cells, resulting in increased epithelial expression of viral sensors (RIG-I, MDA5) via IRF1. In vitro, adolescent PBMCs produce more cytokines, priming A549 cells for stronger interferon responses to SARS-CoV-2. Taken together, our findings suggest that increased numbers of immune cells in the airways of children and enhanced cytokine-based interactions with epithelial cells tune the set-point of the epithelial antiviral system. Our findings shed light on the molecular basis of children's remarkable resistance to COVID-19 and may suggest a novel concept for immunoprophylactic treatments.

SUBMITTER: Vladimir Gonçalves Magalhães

PROVIDER: S-SCDT-10_15252-EMBR_202357912 | biostudies-other |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Immune-Epithelial Cell Cross-Talk Enhances Antiviral Responsiveness to SARS-CoV-2 in Children

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