A comprehensive genetic study, aimed at understanding the role of genetic variations in COVID-19 susceptibility among South Asian populations, highlighted a significant association between the Furin gene variants and COVID-19 case fatality rates.
The study, published in a scientific journal and conducted by a group of researchers of the department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, was led by the gene scientist of BHU, Prof Gyaneshwer Chaubey.The study offers new insights into the epidemiological and genetic factors that may influence disease severity.
The study, which analysed 450 samples from diverse Indian states, has identified a notable positive correlation between the SNP rs1981458 variant and COVID-19 severity, marking a significant advancement in our understanding of the virus’s impact on different ethnic groups, said Prof Chaubey, adding that this correlation was observed consistently across various timelines of the pandemic’s first and second waves, highlighting the variant’s potential role in Covid-19 outcomes.
Our research marks a significant step forward in the fight against Covid-19, shedding light on how genetic differences can affect disease severity among South Asians, said Rudra Kumar Pandey, the lead researcher of the study. Understanding these genetic factors is crucial for developing targeted strategies to mitigate the impact of the virus on vulnerable populations, he said.
The other members of the research team included Anshika Srivastava, Rahul Kumar Mishra, and Prajjval Pratap Singh.
Moreover, the research extended to a global scale, examining next-generation sequencing data from 393 diverse samples worldwide, focusing on South Asia. This global analysis revealed a phylogeographic structure pointing to a closer genetic affinity of South Asian populations with West Eurasian populations, suggesting a similar susceptibility pattern to Covid-19 for these mutations. For the aggregate susceptibility based on ACE2, TMPRSS2, and Furin genes, we can see a different susceptibility of South Asian populations than East and West Eurasian populations, they said.
We believe these findings can play a pivotal role in developing policies and allocating resources more effectively during epidemics, ultimately saving lives, said Prof Chaubey.
