July 29, 2021
Keio University
Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Osaka University
The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
Kitasato University
Kyoto University
Although vaccines for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are becoming more widespread, we continue to face the threat of its spread. In May 2020, the Japan COVID-19 Task Force ( | The Japan COVID-19 Task Force ), a collaborative research group launched by experts from various fields including infectious diseases, virology, molecular genetics, genomic medicine, computational science, and genetic statistics, has been reporting on promising candidate factors for severe COVID-19 in the Japanese population ( https://www.keio.ac.jp/en/press-release/20210518-1 ).
The Japan COVID-19 Task Force has not only conducted multi-institutional collaborative research in Japan but has also advanced its research by participating in the world's largest genome-wide association study of COVID-19, conducted by the international collaborative research group, the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative ( Home ). While many of the groups participating in this international collaborative study are based in Europe and the Americas, the contribution of the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, which participated as the largest research group from Asia, has drawn significant attention. This international collaborative study analyzed approximately 50,000 COVID-19 patients and 2 million controls, identifying 13 genetic polymorphisms (variants) associated with severe COVID-19. Two of these variants were found to be more frequent in East and South Asian populations than in European populations, reaffirming the importance of international collaborative research involving diverse populations. Furthermore, many of these genetic polymorphisms are involved in cell proliferation and immune functions. This not only enhances our understanding of the biological characteristics of COVID-19 but also underscores the importance of conducting genomic research using samples from infected individuals to advance COVID-19 studies. Moving forward, the Japan COVID-19 Task Force will continue its activities both in Japan and internationally to overcome the novel coronavirus, working alongside patients fighting the virus and healthcare professionals on the front lines of medical care.
The results of this research were published in the online edition of "Nature" on July 8, 2021.
For the full press release, please see below.