• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces the cytokine release syndrome by stimulating T cells to produce more IL-2 - Front. Immunol.

Mary Wilson

Well-known member
17 September 2024

https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1444643

Chao Niu[SUP]1,2† [/SUP] Tingting Liang[SUP]1†[/SUP] Yongchong Chen[SUP]1 [/SUP] Shan Zhu[SUP]1,3[/SUP] Lei Zhou[SUP]1 [/SUP] Naifei Chen[SUP]1[/SUP] Lei Qian[SUP]1 [/SUP]Yufeng Wang[SUP]1,4 [/SUP] Min Li[SUP]1*[/SUP] Xin Zhou[SUP]1,2,4*[/SUP] Jiuwei Cui[SUP]1,4*[/SUP]​


Introduction: Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is one of the leading causes of mortality in patients with COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However, the mechanism of CRS induced by SARS-CoV-2 is vague.

Methods: Using spike protein combined with IL-2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α to stimulate human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to secrete CRS-related cytokines, the content of cytokines in the supernatant was detected, and the effects of NK, T, and monocytes were analyzed.

Results: This study shows that dendritic cells loaded with spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 stimulate T cells to release much more interleukin-2 (IL-2,) which subsequently cooperates with spike protein to facilitate PBMCs to release IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. These effects are achieved via IL-2 stimulation of NK cells to release tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), as well as T cells to release IFN-γ Mechanistically, IFN-γ and TNF-α enhance the transcription of CD40, and the interaction of CD40 and its ligand stabilizes the membrane expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) that serves as a receptor of spike protein on the surface of monocytes. As a result, there is a constant interaction between spike protein and TLR4, leading to continuous activation of nuclear factor-κ-gene binding (NF-κB). Furthermore, TNF-α also activates NF-κB signaling in monocytes, which further cooperates with IFN-γ and spike protein to modulate NF-κB–dependent transcription of CRS-related inflammatory cytokines.

Discussion: Targeting TNF-α/IFN-γ in combination with TLR4 may represent a promising therapeutic approach for alleviating CRS in individuals with COVID-19

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1444643/full
 
Back
Top Bottom