Despite the global pandemic, the state of knowledge about the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 is inadequate and the long-term effects of infection are difficult to assess. Because of the high percentage (about 80%) of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 who do not show clinical signs of infection, researchers assume regular recurrence of the epidemic. "Cytokine storm" - a potentially fatal, pathologic immune system response leading to acute respiratory failure and cardiovascular complications, is the leading clinical problem associated with coronavirus infection. The paper "SARS-CoV-2 infection and overactivation of Nlrp3 inflammasome as a trigger of cytokine "storm" and risk factor for damage of hematopoietic stem cells" by Prof. Magdalena Kucia and Prof. Mariusz Ratajczak, published on 1.06.2020 in the journal "Leukemia," assumes a novel concept concerning Nlrp3 inflammasome - an intracellular receptor of innate immune system. According to our researchers' hypothesis, excessive/unchecked activation of the Nlrp3 inflamasome, associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, is a key mechanism that initiates a spiral of excessive responses from the innate immune system, leading to a "cytokine storm." It induces a phenomenon in the body called pyroptosis (cell death) in endothelial cells and hematopoietic stem cells. Professor Kucia and Professor Ratajczak are currently developing potential treatment strategies to inhibit the uncontrolled "cytokine storm".
The pioneering research continues with two more papers by a team from the Department of Regenerative Medicine MUW that have been published in the journals “Leukemia” and “Stem Cell Reviews and Reports.” It should be noted that these results were independently confirmed in a later paper by Prof. Hal Broxmeyer from Indiana University, USA.
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