Immunopathogenesis and perspectives for immunotherapy of coronavirus infection

Abstract

Highly pathogenic coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the cause of COVID-19 in humans sometimes with severe clinical manifestations and death. COVID-19 immunopathogenesis is linked with dysregulated immune response with decreased interferon synthesis at the beginning of infection followed by inflammatory cytokines hyperproduction, resulting in an exuberant lung inflammation and respiratory distress syndrome. Perspective immunotherapy directions for COVID-19 could be: intranasal recombinant interferon application in the initial stage of disease, anticytokine therapy at the stage of severe pneumonia and cytokine storm development, passive immunization with blood plasma of recovered patients or therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, prophylactic vaccination.