Dr. Tim Henrich presented new findings surrounding long term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 proteins & RNA in Long COVID gut tissue at PolyBio’s recent Spring symposium. “We actually see [gut viral persistence] in both areas, the epithelium—which turns over every several days to week—to the lamina propria where you have long-lived myeloid immune cells… suggesting there may even be replication in some individuals,” said Henrich. Using a highly sensitive method of detecting viral RNA, “around 20-25% of the time, we see detection… all the way up until 3-4 years after initial infection” in Long COVID patients.

4/ A common question in response to data like this is “we’ve identified viral persistence in Long COVID—what next?” PolyBio is currently supporting several clinical trials with varying therapeutic approaches to address viral persistence—for example, Mount Sinai's CoRE clinic is running a trial of Maraviroc & Truvada for targeted treatment of SCV2 and EBV in Long COVID. polybio.org/projects/a-clini…

2/ Dr. Henrich’s findings are part of the PolyBio-supported PASC tissue program within the LIINC collaborative. The program is the first in the world to comprehensively sample multiple tissues including gut, lymph node, cerebrospinal fluid, and bone marrow to test the hypothesis that tissue-based viral persistence drives Long COVID and can be altered via interventions targeting viral reservoirs. The Program is also leveraging Long COVID clinical trials targeting mechanisms of viral persistence (e.g. the Aerium monoclonal antibody trial and the Shionogi antiviral trial) to support deep assessment of the impact of such interventions on measures of viral persistence. polybio.org/projects/liinc-p…

Said Dr. Mark Painter in a recent episode of PolyBio’s Lab Visits: “What we’re seeing in a third of people with Long COVID, maybe more, is evidence that T cells recognizing either SARS-CoV-2—or in some different people, herpesviruses—are persistently activated. Which is suggestive that those viruses are present somewhere in the body.” Listen to the full interview here: youtu.be/H_3dKzNw3Wk?si=TZcX…

Breaking: Funding from Vitalik Buterin’s Balvi Fund Expands Long COVID Rapamycin Trial PolyBio today announced new funding that is supporting an open-label extension phase in a clinical trial investigating low-dose Rapamycin as a potential treatment for Long COVID. All participants—including those initially randomized to placebo—will receive low-dose rapamycin during a defined follow-up period. 1/

These findings will help determine whether—and in which patient subsets—the drug may have therapeutic value, advancing the field toward more precise, mechanism-based treatment strategies. 10/