Water-soluble proteins bind to, calm cytokine storms caused by severe infections
In our immune system, tiny inflammatory molecules, or cytokines, help initiate healing in response to injury or infection. Unfortunately, an immune overreaction will release more and more of these molecules building up to what is known as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) – sometimes called a cytokine storm – which can be fatal. Cytokine storms have been seen in patients with sepsis, Ebola, HIV, and most recently, in severe cases of COVID-19. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, have thus found a way to contain this overzealous immune reaction with water-soluble proteins that can bind to cytokines.
According to MIT research scientist Rui Qing, the engineered proteins “can be injected into the body and bind to the excessive cytokines as generated by the cytokine storm, remove the excessive cytokines and alleviate the symptoms of infection.”
The proteins can strongly bind to a wide range of cytokines as they actually mimic at least six different cytokine receptors; and an attached, specialised antibody segment (Fc region) also helps the proteins last longer in the bloodstream without degrading or being cleared out by the immune system.
Successful lab tests with the proteins raises hope that they may eventually work as a treatment for cytokine storms – the next steps are to test the proteins in human cell cultures and animal models of COVID-19 infection. Its crucial work, according to the researchers, but tackling this dangerous condition would improve the safety of cancer immunotherapy immensely.
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