Actionable druggable genome-wide Mendelian randomization identifies repurposing opportunities for COVID-19.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33837377.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41591-021-01310-z and PMC identifier 7612986.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Drug repurposing provides a rapid approach to meet the urgent need for therapeutics to address COVID-19. To identify therapeutic targets relevant to COVID-19, we conducted Mendelian randomization analyses, deriving genetic instruments based on transcriptomic and proteomic data for 1,263 actionable proteins that are targeted by approved drugs or in clinical phase of drug development. Using summary statistics from the Host Genetics Initiative and the Million Veteran Program, we studied 7,554 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and >1 million controls. We found significant Mendelian randomization results for three proteins (ACE2, P = 1.6 × 10<sup>-6</sup>; IFNAR2, P = 9.8 × 10<sup>-11</sup> and IL-10RB, P = 2.3 × 10<sup>-14</sup>) using cis-expression quantitative trait loci genetic instruments that also had strong evidence for colocalization with COVID-19 hospitalization. To disentangle the shared expression quantitative trait loci signal for IL10RB and IFNAR2, we conducted phenome-wide association scans and pathway enrichment analysis, which suggested that IFNAR2 is more likely to play a role in COVID-19 hospitalization. Our findings prioritize trials of drugs targeting IFNAR2 and ACE2 for early management of COVID-19.
Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
- Drug Repositioning
- Mendelian Randomization Analysis
- SARS-CoV-2