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Harnessing immunotherapy to combat COVID-19: A modern snake oil or silver bullet?
Shivshankar Malkarjun Gunjegaonkar1, Thukani Sathanantham Shanmugarajan2, Mohanasundaram Arunsundar2
1JSPM's Charak College of Pharmacy and Research, Pune-Nagar Road, Wagholi, Pune, 412207 Maharashtra, India.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has emerged into a global health and economic menace. Amidst the COVID-19 turmoil, recent failures/uncertain outcomes in clinical trials involving the anti-malarial (hydroxychloroquine), anti-viral (remdesivir) or the combination of anti-malarial/antibiotic (hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin) regimens have predisposed the physicians to distrust these "highly-touted" drugs for COVID-19. In this milieu, immunotherapy might be a credible modality to target or modify specific/non-specific immune responses that interfere with the survival of intracellular pathogens. This scientific review throws light on the epidemiology of COVID-19, its pathogenesis and the current clinical scenario of immunotherapeutics including convalescent plasma (CP), type-1 interferons (IFN-I) and human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to combat COVID-19. The treatment outcomes underscore that immunotherapy might be a reliable tool to assuage COVID-19-associated immunopathology. However, specific patient pool studies are warranted to ascertain the precise (re)purposing of immunotherapeutics for COVID-19.
Insights
Immunotherapy shows promise for managing COVID-19 complications, offering a potential alternative to less effective treatments. Further research is needed to confirm the best use of these immune-modulating therapies for COVID-19 patients.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
- Virology
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a significant global health challenge.
- Previous clinical trials of drugs like hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir for COVID-19 have yielded uncertain outcomes.
- There is a need for effective therapeutic strategies to combat COVID-19.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and current immunotherapeutic approaches for COVID-19.
- To evaluate the potential of immunotherapy as a treatment modality for COVID-19.
- To discuss the role of immunomodulation in managing COVID-19-associated immunopathology.
Main Methods:
- This is a scientific review.
- Literature search on COVID-19 epidemiology, pathogenesis, and immunotherapeutics.
- Analysis of clinical outcomes of immunotherapies including convalescent plasma, type-1 interferons, and monoclonal antibodies.
Main Results:
- Immunotherapy may offer a credible approach to target immune responses in COVID-19.
- Convalescent plasma (CP), type-1 interferons (IFN-I), and human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are key immunotherapeutic options.
- Treatment outcomes suggest immunotherapy can help mitigate COVID-19-associated immunopathology.
Conclusions:
- Immunotherapy presents a reliable tool for managing COVID-19 immunopathology.
- Further studies focusing on specific patient populations are essential.
- Precise repurposing of immunotherapeutics for COVID-19 requires additional investigation.
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