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Editorial
. 2022 Dec 1;60(6):2201521.
doi: 10.1183/13993003.01521-2022. Print 2022 Dec.

Does autonomous macrophage-driven inflammation promote alveolar damage in COVID-19?

David H Dockrell  1   2 , Clark D Russell  3   2 , Brian McHugh  3   2 , Rupsha Fraser  2
Affiliations
Editorial

Does autonomous macrophage-driven inflammation promote alveolar damage in COVID-19?

David H Dockrell et al. Eur Respir J. .

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has caused devastating effects with over 550 million infections by July 2022 and approximately 6.4 million deaths [1]. Societal and economic impacts will reverberate for years, with continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2 as it persistently spreads through the human population as exemplified by reduced activity of vaccines and monoclonals against Omicron BA.4 or BA.5 subvariants [2]. A greater understanding of pathogenesis and more tailored therapeutic approaches are therefore essential.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: D.H. Dockrell reports past lecture honoraria and travel support from ViiV Healthcare and has received GSK compounds for research purposes, outside the submitted work; and acts as Commissioner for Human Medicines (MHRA) UK. B. McHugh has received GSK compounds for research purposes, outside the submitted work. All other authors have nothing to disclose.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Perturbed macrophage populations in the distal lung in pathogenesis of alveolar injury in Covid-19. AT1: alveolar epithelial type 1 cells; AT2: alveolar epithelial type 2 cells; AM: alveolar macrophage; MDM: monocyte-derived macrophage; IM: interstitial macrophage.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

  • Human lungs show limited permissiveness for SARS-CoV-2 due to scarce ACE2 levels but virus-induced expansion of inflammatory macrophages.
    Hönzke K, Obermayer B, Mache C, Fatykhova D, Kessler M, Dökel S, Wyler E, Baumgardt M, Löwa A, Hoffmann K, Graff P, Schulze J, Mieth M, Hellwig K, Demir Z, Biere B, Brunotte L, Mecate-Zambrano A, Bushe J, Dohmen M, Hinze C, Elezkurtaj S, Tönnies M, Bauer TT, Eggeling S, Tran HL, Schneider P, Neudecker J, Rückert JC, Schmidt-Ott KM, Busch J, Klauschen F, Horst D, Radbruch H, Radke J, Heppner F, Corman VM, Niemeyer D, Müller MA, Goffinet C, Mothes R, Pascual-Reguant A, Hauser AE, Beule D, Landthaler M, Ludwig S, Suttorp N, Witzenrath M, Gruber AD, Drosten C, Sander LE, Wolff T, Hippenstiel S, Hocke AC. Hönzke K, et al. Eur Respir J. 2022 Dec 1;60(6):2102725. doi: 10.1183/13993003.02725-2021. Print 2022 Dec. Eur Respir J. 2022. PMID: 35728978 Free PMC article.

References

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