Could Unconventional Immunomodulatory Agents Help Alleviate COVID-19 Symptoms and Severity?

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV2) is the cause of the respiratory infection known as COVID-19. From an immunopathological standpoint, coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV2 induce an increase in a variety of T-helper 1 (Th1) and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines including interleukins IL-1, IL-6, CCL2 protein and CXCL10 protein. In the absence of proven antiviral agents or an effective vaccine, substances with immunomodulatory activity may be able to inhibit inflammatory and Th1 cytokines and/or yield an anti-inflammatory and/or Th2 immune response to counteract COVID-19 symptoms and severity. This report briefly describes four unconventional but commercially accessible immunomodulatory agents that could be employed in clinical trials to evaluate their effectiveness at alleviating disease symptoms and severity: Low-dose oral interferon-alpha, microdose DNA, low-dose thimerosal and phytocannabinoids.

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) Seed a Candidate Protein Source with Potential for Combating SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Obesity

“…Considering these dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19, several studies and tests with drugs, traditionally used to control these changes, whether endocrine or metabolic, appear. Some adjuvant therapies for COVID-19 deserve special mention, such as immunomodulatory agents, immunoglobulin therapy, corticosteroids, and anticytokines used to control endocrine and metabolic changes( 9 , 52 , 53 ).…”

Obesity and the increased risk for COVID-19: mechanisms and nutritional management

“…Several initiatives for preventing and controlling non-communicable diseases have been adopted over the last decades, supported by the WHO. These initiatives are currently being tested in the treatment of COVID-19, especially in cases where obesity is also present (15,19,20) .…”

“…Considering these immune dysfunctions in patients with COVID-19, management therapies have used immunomodulatory drugs that benefit COVID-19 patients in pathways also altered by obesity (19,20) . Hoffmann et al (21) , demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 uses the SARS-CoV angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2 receptor to enter the cells and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) for spike (S) protein priming.…”

Immunomodulators Acting on COVID-19: Actual Knowledge and Perspectives

“…Using immunotherapy against this virus could also be an adequate option (Durán et al, 2019;Fávaro et al, 2019a;AminJafari and Ghasemi, 2020;Delafiori et al, 2020). It is known that coronavirus infection induces increased levels of T-helper 1 (Th1) cytokine, interferon (IFN)-gamma, inflammatory cytokines such as interleukins IL-1, IL-6 and IL-12, and connected cytokines and chemokines such as IL-8, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2 protein, also known as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 or MCP-1) and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10 protein, named as interferon-γ, induced protein 10 or IP-10) (Mamber et al, 2020;Durán and Fávaro, 2020). The release of these cytokines moderated by these inflammatory and Th1 cytokines activate monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils account for immunopathological outcomes observed for this contamination type.…”

“…These hyper-inflammatory immune responses lead to increased Covid-19 severity and, consequently, to high mortality rates. Thus, it is possible saying that hyperinflammatory process inhibition is an unequivocal drug therapy alternative (Mamber et al, 2020;Zhong et al, 2020).…”