This project aims to characterize the long‑term immune response in the ileum of Macaca fascicularis macaques at 150 days following SARS‑CoV‑2 infection. By leveraging BD Rhapsody single‑cell technology, we will perform a high‑resolution analysis of intestinal immune cell populations, their activation states, and their transcriptional programs at the single‑cell level. This approach is particularly well suited for identifying persistent immune alterations, immune memory signatures, and regulatory mechanisms that may persist long after viral clearance.
The scientific relevance of this study lies in advancing our understanding of sustained immune remodeling within the gastrointestinal tract, which has been recognized as a key site of SARS‑CoV‑2 persistence and ongoing immune activity. Focusing on a late post‑infection time point enables the investigation of chronic and post‑acute immune processes that may underlie long‑term consequences of COVID‑19, including gut‑associated inflammation and features of long COVID. Importantly, the results of this work will enhance the translational value of the cynomolgus macaque model for studying prolonged immune dysregulation induced by SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and its relevance to human disease.
