Journal Article Epublish 3 citations
PubMed: 38459174 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56334-5
The impact understanding of exosome therapy in COVID-19 and preparations for the future approaches in dealing with infectious diseases and inflammation.
Sci Rep 14(1):5724
Authors: Zeynab Nasiri, Hoorieh Soleimanjahi, Nafiseh Baheiraei, Seyed Mahmoud Hashemi, Mahmoud Reza Pourkarim
Affiliations
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Anatomical Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
Abstract
Cytokine storms, which result from an abrupt, acute surge in the circulating levels of different pro-inflammatory cytokines, are one of the complications associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This study aimed to assess the effect of exosomes on the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and compare it with a control group. The cytokines evaluated in this study were TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and IFN-γ. The study compared the levels of these pro-inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of five COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit, who were subjected to both inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and exosome therapy, with those of five healthy controls. The cytokine levels were quantified using the ELISA method. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS Version 26.0 and GraphPad Prism Version 9. According to the study findings, when PBMCs were exposed to inactivated SARS-CoV-2, pro-inflammatory cytokines increased in both patients and healthy controls. Notably, the cytokine levels were significantly elevated in the COVID-19 patients compared to the control group P-values were < 0.001, 0.001, 0.008, and 0.008 for TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, and IFN-γ, respectively. Conversely, when both groups were exposed to exosomes, there was a marked reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This suggests that exosome administration can effectively mitigate the hyperinflammation induced by COVID-19 by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in patients. These findings underscore the potential safety and efficacy of exosomes as a therapeutic strategy for COVID-19.
MeSH
Cytokines, Natural Science Disciplines, Infections, Communicable Diseases, Therapeutics, Exosomes, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Sars-Cov-2