COVID-19
Long COVID Treatment Using Immune-Boosting
Apr
Most individuals with COVID-19 recover fully after infection within the initial 3 to 4 weeks. However, around 10-30% of individuals experience lingering symptoms weeks to months after the acute phase of the illness, a phase that has been called long COVID or post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.
Severe illness with COVID-19 is characterized by excessive inflammation and a dysregulated immune response that scientists have hypothesized that this atypical immune response could lead to persistent inflammation and could be responsible for long COVID symptoms.
Immune-Boosting Therapy
In a recently published study, researchers evaluated the use of a monoclonal antibody, leronlimab, and found that it can improve symptoms in some individuals with long COVID by boosting immunity. A different approach to the immunosuppressive therapy used so far.
The antibody works by blocking the cytokine receptor CCR%, which is expressed by immune cells and involved in mediating an immune response against an infection.
Previous studies showed that leronlimab can reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19.
The study included a total of 55 patients with long COVID who received a weekly injection of leronlimab or a placebo for a total of 8 weeks.
The team found that a higher percentage of individuals in the leronlimab-treated group showed improvements in several long COVID symptoms than in the placebo group. They also found that the medication increased the number of T cells, which further suggested that leronlimab boosted the immune system.
Source:
Deep Shukla. (2022, Apr 27). Are we treating long COVID wrong? Immune-boosting treatment takes new approach. Medical News Today. Retrieved from:
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Photo by Denis Jung on Unsplash
