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Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program

Unraveling Links Between Chronic Inflammation and Long COVID: Current State, Challenges, and Opportunities

Workshop to Facilitate Cancer Systems Epidemiology Research, February 28 – March 1, 2019, Bethesda, MD

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Overview

The Unraveling Links Between Chronic Inflammation and Long COVID: Current State, Challenges, and Opportunities workshop was organized by the Trans-NIH Chronic Inflammation Working Group. The virtual event was held on September 19, 20, and 21, 2023.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued for over two years, the number of patients who continue to suffer long-term effects after their initial infection is growing. These patients have been termed as “long haulers” as they are suffering from “long COVID.” Patients with long COVID present a wide range of signs and symptoms and varying degrees of severity, and the conditions can last for weeks, months, or longer. Lingering loss of smell and taste, hearing loss, extreme fatigue, and brain fog are the most common sequelae that persist, but cardiovascular problems, persistent respiratory problems, muscle weakness, and other neurological issues have all been documented in patients suffering from long COVID.

Another major problem is the lack of clear guidelines for the diagnosis of “a long COVID.” Although some studies have suggested prolonged inflammation after SARS-CoV-2 infection may be responsible for long COVID, the mechanisms involved are still not clear. There is an urgent need to bring experts who are working on COVID-related responses in various organs together to gain an understanding of the wide effects of COVID on the body after initial infection with the virus.

Purpose

This workshop brought together multi-disciplinary experts to highlight the latest research on long COVID and chronic inflammation that might be related to the persistent effects of the infection.

Agenda

View agenda for September 19, 2023

Day 1: Defining Long COVID

Tuesday, September 19 Topic
10:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction

Pushpa Tandon, Ph.D.,
National Cancer Institute
10:10 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.

Update on Long COVID and Post COVID Research

Keynote Speaker: Josh Fessel, M.D., Ph.D.,
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Session 1: Diagnosing Long COVID and Identifying Risk Factors: Unresolved COVID or something more?
Chair: Gallya Gannot, D.M.D., Ph.D., National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
10:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Sars-CoV-2 reservoir: potential driver of inflammation and other disease mechanisms in Long COVID/PASC

Amy Proal, Ph.D.,
PolyBio Research Foundation, Kenmore, WA
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Identifying who has Long COVID in the U.S.A.: a machine learning approach using N3C data

Melissa Haendel, Ph.D.,
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
11:20 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.

The Gastrointestinal Tract and Long COVID

Saurabh Mehandru, M.D.,
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

COVID-19 sequelae – Can long-term effects be predicted?

Eleni Gavriilaki, M.D., Ph.D.,
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Moderators:
Preethi Chander, Ph.D., National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Anju Singh, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break
Session 2: Classifying Long COVID and Potential Mechanisms
Chair: Joy Liu, M.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
1:00 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.

Defining the pathophysiology of Long COVID / Long COVID Subtypes (using the RECOVER platform)

Upinder Singh, M.D.,
Stanford University
1:20 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.

Immune memory of Long COVID

Julie McElrath, M.D., Ph.D.,
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
1:40 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Long COVID: A proposed hypothesis-driven model of viral persistence for the pathophysiology of the syndrome

Joseph A. Bellanti, M.D.,
Georgetown University
2:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.

Epigenetic Memory of COVID-19 in innate immune cells and their progenitors

Steven Z. Josefowicz, Ph.D.,
Cornell University
2:20 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Moderators:
Mercy Prabhudas, Ph.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Leela Rani Avula, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute

2:50 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Day 1 Wrap Up

Gallya Gannot, D.M.D., Ph.D.,
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

View agenda for September 20, 2023

Day 2: Organ-Specific Effects of Inflammation and Long COVID

Wednesday, September 20 Topic
10:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Review from Day 1: Goals and Objectives

Merriline Satyamitra, Ph.D.,
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
10:10 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.

Organ-Specific Inflammation and Long-COVID

Keynote Speaker: Richard C. Becker, M.D.,
University of Cincinnati
Session 3: Neurological Effects
Chair: Danielle Carrick, Ph.D. M.H.S., National Cancer Institute
10:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Covid 19: challenges for Neurology

Prof. Raimund Helbok, M.D., Ph.D.,
Department of Neurology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, Austria
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Neuropathogenesis of Long-COVID

Avindra Nath, M.D.,
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
11:20 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.

Post-infectious peripheral neuropathy in Long COVID – mechanisms, diagnosis and mitigation

Anne Louise Oaklander, M.D., Ph.D.,
Massachusetts General Hospital
11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, neuroinflammation and brain fog

Prof. Theoharis Theoharides, MSc, Ph.D., M.D.,
Nova Southeastern University
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Moderators:
Nataliya Gordiyenko, Ph.D., National Eye Institute
Christina Liu, Ph.D., P.E., National Institute of General Medical Sciences

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch Break
Session 4: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Immunological Effects
Chair: Rao L. Divi, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute
1:00 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.

COVID-19 Associated Coagulopathy (C.A.C.)

Jim Morrissey, Ph.D.,
University of Michigan
1:20 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.

Immuno-proteomics of the post-COVID19 lung and its link to pathology

James Harker, Ph.D.,
Imperial College London, London, UK
1:40 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Cardiac Pathology in Long-COVID

James Stone, M.D., Ph.D.,
Massachusetts General Hospital
2:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.

Prevention and early treatment of the long-term physical effects of COVID-19: a randomised clinical trial of resistance exercise

Colin Berry, M.D., Ph.D.,
University of Glasgow, UK
2:20 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Moderators:
Natalie Abrams, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute
Ronald Warren, Ph.D., National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
2:50 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Day 2 Wrap Up

Christina Liu, Ph.D., P.E.,
National Institute of General Medical Sciences

View agenda for September 21, 2023

Day 3: Living with Long COVID

Thursday, September 21 Topic
10:00 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.

Review from Day 1 and 2: Goals and Objectives

Kyung Moon, Ph.D.,
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
10:10 a.m. - 10:40 a.m.

The ins and the outs, the long and the short, of complement in COVID-19

Keynote Speaker: Edward Conway, M.D., Ph.D.,
University of British Columbia
Session 5: Comorbidities and Long COVID - What do these chronic inflammatory conditions mean for Long COVID
Chair: Mulualem E. Tilahun, D.V.M., Ph.D., National Institute of Aging
10:40 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

What does aging mean for Long COVID effects

Shabnam Salimi, M.D.,
University of Maryland
11:00 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Autoimmune diseases and Long COVID

Divaker Choubey, Ph.D.,
University of Cincinnati
11:20 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.

Long COVID, selection criteria, and representation

Charisse Madlock-Brown, Ph.D.,
University of Iowa
11:40 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Age of first developing overweight or obesity, COVID-19 and Long COVID in two British birth cohorts

Charis Bridger Staatz, Ph.D.,
University College London
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Moderators:
Joy Liu, M.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Chiayeng Wang, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute

12:30 p.m. - 1:20 p.m. Lunch Break
Session 6: Prevention and Treatment
Chair: Johanna Dwyer, D.Sc. R.D., National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
1:20 p.m. - 1:40 p.m.

Disparities in Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (Long COVID)

Dhruv Khullar, M.D., Cornell University

1:40 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Long COVID and Viral Persistence: Exploring Avenues for Therapies

Linda C. Geng, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University

2:00 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.

Clinical experience with the α2A-adrenoceptor agonist, guanfacine, and N-acetylcysteine for the treatment of cognitive deficits in Long COVID

Amy Arnsten, Ph.D., Yale University

2:20 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

Panel Discussion

Moderators:
Rao L. Divi, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute
Christina Liu, Ph.D., P.E., National Institute of General Medical Sciences

2:50 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Panel Day 3 Wrap Up

Pushpa Tandon, Ph.D., National Cancer Institute

Meeting Materials

Contact

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Last Updated: 12 Dec, 2023