The role of taurine derivatives in the putative therapy of COVID-19-induced inflammation

Excerpt

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) named by the World Health organization (WHO) as a global pandemic was discovered through a series of viral pneumonia cases associated with fever, cough, and dyspnea in Wuhan, China [1]. With over 700,000 deaths worldwide, current medical management is still supportive, while definite treatment of prophylactic vaccine or therapeutic drugs that are specific to COVID-19 is underway. The dominant mechanism of host cell entry by COVID-19 is via angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptor expressed by epithelial cells of the lung, intestine, kidney, and blood vessels [2]. Like the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, COVID-19 dysregulates innate immune viral response via inhibition of interferons (INFs) produced in infected alveolar epithelial cells [1, 2]. This leads to accumulated monocyte/macrophage load and the activation of NF-кB that triggers over-production and release of proinflammatory mediators such as IL-1β, IL-6, GM-CSF, TNF-α, CXC-chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL-8), CXCL-10, CC-chemokine ligand 2 (CCL-2), and CCL-3 (1, 2) with a consequent phenomenon of the cytokine release storm (CRS). CRS is thought to be the major cause of disease severity and death in COVID-19 patients. …