Discovery of the Month: New Study Reveals Insights into COVID-19’s Multi-Organ Injury and Pathways to Combat Cytokine Storms

Dr. Carmen Avila-Casado contributes to a groundbreaking research study published in Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight on April 11, 2023: Cytokine storm-based mechanisms for extra-pulmonary manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Summary

Researchers at the Glomerular Disease Therapeutic Laboratory, led by Dr. Sumant Chugh, have made significant progress in understanding how COVID-19 causes severe multi-organ injury in some patients. Published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, their study uncovers pathways to reduce organ injury and inflammation associated with the virus.

The research, which utilized mouse models, discovered that COVID-19 triggers a cytokine storm—a severe immune reaction where the body releases excessive cytokines into the bloodstream. This storm is responsible for the multi-organ injury, starting with the lungs, that leads to critical illness and even death. The study also found that the cytokine storm can affect organs beyond the lungs, causing myocarditis, pericarditis, liver injury, acute kidney injury, and acute glomerular injury.

The team’s research began prior to the pandemic while investigating relapses in patients with certain kidney diseases after catching a common cold. They identified a genetic defect and developed a mouse model to mimic the cytokine storm caused by the cold, which later helped them replicate and study the inflammation from SARS-CoV-2 infections.

This groundbreaking research shifts the understanding of cytokine-storm-related illnesses and offers insights into COVID-19 and common cold infections. Key findings include understanding the inflammatory illnesses experienced by COVID-19 patients, potential treatments using dual pathways to combat inflammation, the effectiveness of single cytokine depletion treatments for non-pulmonary manifestations of COVID-19, and the connection between rare kidney diseases and common cold infections.

The study’s implications are far-reaching and open avenues for targeted treatments and interventions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on vital organs.