NEW YORK — Immune mapping firm Serimmune said on Tuesday that it has begun enrolling participants for a study designed to evaluate the human immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The study is expected to enroll 2,000 individuals who will provide blood samples to Serimmune every six months using an at-home sample collection kit. The samples will be analyzed by the Goleta, California-based company using its Serum Epitope Repertoire Analysis platform to assess immune responses to both natural SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.
Serimmune said it intends to track these immune responses over a five-year period to better understand how variations in antibody response may influence COVID-19 symptoms. Study participants will be provided a report characterizing their antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, as well as ongoing information about their immunity to the virus.
"We will investigate how these differences may be important for immunity, the duration of immunity, and for severity of symptoms," Serimmune CEO Noah Nasser said in a statement. "Deeper understanding of what makes an individual immune response effective will assist in the development of new vaccines and therapeutics for SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses."
While Serimmune has programs in a range of disease areas including cancer, Lyme disease, and celiac disease, the company last year shifted its focus onto research supporting the development of tests and vaccines for SARS-CoV-2.