Human SARS-CoV-2 challenge uncovers local and systemic response dynamics

. Here in our SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study, we used single-cell multi-omics profiling of nasopharyngeal swabs and blood to temporally resolve abortive, transient and sustained infections in seronegative individuals challenged with pre-Alpha SARS-CoV-2. Our analyses revealed rapid changes in cell-type proportions and dozens of highly dynamic cellular response states in epithelial and immune cells associated with specific time points and infection status. We observed that the interferon response in blood preceded the nasopharyngeal response. Moreover, nasopharyngeal immune infiltration occurred early in samples from individuals with only transient infection and later in samples from individuals with…

• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Awards: MR/W025051/1, MC_PC_17230, MR/Y004450/1
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

  Award: BB/V006738/1