How a single viral protein hijacks immune cells to supercharge COVID-19 infection
Researchers have identified that the SARS-CoV-2 protein ORF8 hijacks immune macrophages to trigger hyperinflammation in COVID-19 patients. Blocking this protein in animal models has shown potential in reducing lung damage, offering a new target for therapeutic intervention.
Why it matters
This discovery provides a specific molecular target for developing treatments to mitigate severe COVID-19 complications.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Scientists at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco discovered how a SARS-CoV-2 protein reprograms immune cells to accelerate viral spread, pointing to a new strategy for therapeutic intervention. Credit: Michael Short/Gladstone Institutes In the sickest COVID-19 patients, SARS-CoV-2 doesn't just cause severe damage by directly infecting airway cells. The virus can also trigger hyperinflammation—a cycle in which immune cells themselves become infected, stop fighting the virus and instead trigger high levels of inflammation throughout the lungs.
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