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Review
. 2020 Jun 26:11:1580.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01580. eCollection 2020.

Severe COVID-19: NLRP3 Inflammasome Dysregulated

Daan F van den Berg  1 , Anje A Te Velde  1
Affiliations
Review

Severe COVID-19: NLRP3 Inflammasome Dysregulated

Daan F van den Berg et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 might directly activate NLRP3 inflammasome resulting in an endogenous adjuvant activity necessary to mount a proper adaptive immune response against the virus. Heterogeneous response of COVID-19 patients could be attributed to differences in not being able to properly downregulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation. This relates to the fitness of the immune system of the individual challenged by the virus. Patients with a reduced immune fitness can demonstrate a dysregulated NLRP3 inflammasome activity resulting in severe COVID-19 with tissue damage and a cytokine storm. We sketch the outlines of five possible scenarios for COVID-19 in medical practice and provide potential treatment options targeting dysregulated endogenous adjuvant activity in severe COVID-19 patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; HMGB1; NLRP3 inflammasome; endogenous adjuvant activity; therapy.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An overview of all the consequences of the clinical course of COVID-19 infection in humans depending on their immune fitness state.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Central role of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the severe symptomatic phase of COVID-19 and potential options for treatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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