Targeting immunometabolism to treat COVID-19

Abstract

Summary The COVID-19 crisis has emphasised the need for antiviral therapies to combat current and future viral zoonoses. Recent studies have shown that immune cells such as macrophages are the main contributors to the inflammatory response seen in the later inflammatory phase of COVID-19. Immune cells in the context of a viral infection such as SARS-CoV-2 undergo metabolic reprogramming to elicit these pro-inflammatory effector functions. The evidence of metabolic reprogramming in COVID-19 offers opportunities for metabolites with immunomodulatory properties to be investigated as potential therapies to combat this hyper-inflammatory response. Recent research indicates that the metabolite itaconate, previously known to be broadly antibacterial, may have both antiviral and immunomodulatory potential. Furthermore, low itaconate levels have shown to correlate with COVID-19 disease severity, potentially implicating its importance in the disease. The antiviral potential of itaconate has encouraged researchers to synthesise itaconate derivatives for antiviral screening, with some encouraging results. This review summarises the antiviral and immunomodulatory potential of immunometabolic modulators including metformin, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonists and TEPP-46 as well as itaconate, and its derivatives and their potential use as broad spectrum anti-viral agents.