Natural products provide a new perspective for anti-complement treatment of severe COVID-19: a review

Area of Science:

• Immunology and Molecular Medicine
• Pharmacology and Drug Discovery
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• COVID-19 severity is linked to exaggerated immune responses, specifically cytokine storms, leading to organ dysfunction and coagulopathy.
• Uncontrolled complement system activation exacerbates inflammation, cytokine storms, intravascular coagulation, and tissue damage, presenting a therapeutic target for severe COVID-19.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of anti-complement therapies as an upstream regulator for suppressing cytokine storms in critically ill COVID-19 patients.
• To investigate natural products, particularly from traditional Chinese medicine, as a source for developing efficient, low-toxicity complement inhibitors.

Main Methods:

• Review and analysis of existing literature on COVID-19 pathogenesis, complement activation, and cytokine storm.
• Exploration of traditional Chinese medicine resources for natural compounds with anti-complement properties.
• Discussion of the advantages of natural complement inhibitors over synthetic options regarding cost, toxicity, and drug resistance.

Main Results:

• Current cytokine storm suppression therapies offer symptomatic relief but lack long-term etiological efficacy.
• Anti-complement therapy is a critical upstream intervention for managing cytokine storms.
• Synthetic complement inhibitors face challenges of high cost, drug resistance, and potential side effects.

Conclusions:

• Natural anti-complement products, especially those from traditional Chinese medicine, present a cost-effective and potentially safer alternative for treating severe COVID-19.
• Developing natural complement inhibitors could offer a bright perspective for managing cytokine storms and reducing mortality in critically ill patients.