Some COVID-19 infected cells can ‘explode’, leading to severe inflammation of the lungs and other internal organs — this is what a new study by Royal Free London (RFL) shows. The discovery is expected to help scientists develop more effective treatments for the future.
- Scientists from the UK and the US have discovered that the coronavirus kills cells in the immune system
- As a result of pyroptosis, the virus is killed, but it also causes hyperinflammation, which can lead, among others, to for acute respiratory failure and inflammation of numerous internal organs
- According to the hepatologist Gautam Mehta, who participated in the study, thanks to the discovery it will be possible to treat coronavirus cases with drugs that are currently used to treat alcoholism and multiple sclerosis.
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Research conducted by a team of RFL consultant hepatologist Gautam Mehta and doctors at Harvard Medical School in the US shows that immune cells under the influence of COVID-19 can “explode”, causing inflammation that is complained of by those severely infected with coronavirus. This phenomenon is called pyroptosis.
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Although pyroptosis kills the COVID-19 virus, it also leads to the release of inflammatory content into the bloodstream, which, as it travels throughout the body, damages the lungs and other critical internal organs.
Mehta’s team investigated pyroptosis in the context of the coronavirus, having previously conducted similar observations on the example of patients whose livers had been infected by bacteria from the gut. In the case of the liver, pyroptosis works to remove bacteria – when their cells die in this way, they release inflammatory substances that damage the surrounding cells.
– The path of pyroptosis works like an alarm system. If it senses bacterial or viral particles in a cell, it causes the cell to ‘ignite’ and the pro-inflammatory contents are released. This has the advantage of eliminating infection, but can lead to severe inflammation. Pyroptosis literally means “inflammatory mode of cell death,” Gautam Mehta told Royal Free London.
A drug combating the severe course of the coronavirus is getting closer
Gautam Mehta later added that pyroptosis in immune cells in the case of COVID-19 leads to hyperinflammation in some people, which may lead, among others, to for acute respiratory failure. By discovering the role of pyroptosis, researchers hope to develop new treatments for coronavirus patients and hope to be able to use drugs already available on the market in the process.
— Inflammation and cell death are important factors in the severe course of coronavirus infection, and our research shows that pyroptosis is often the cause of this. This is an important discovery as our COVID-19 treatments currently target the virus itself. If we track the process that causes severe disease, we can develop an effective treatment that works even for patients for whom vaccines are not effective. — Mehta told the Daily Mirror about his discovery.
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Several drugs are believed to be effective in combating pyroptosis. One is used to treat alcoholism and the other is often prescribed for patients with multiple sclerosis. According to Mehta, these measures are inexpensive and available all over the world, which may translate into the effectiveness of the method he is applying.
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