2. Academic Validation
  3. ORF8 contributes to cytokine storm during SARS-CoV-2 infection by activating IL-17 pathway

ORF8 contributes to cytokine storm during SARS-CoV-2 infection by activating IL-17 pathway

  • iScience. 2021 Apr 23;24(4):102293. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102293.
Xiaoyuan Lin 1,  Beibei Fu 1,  Songna Yin 2,  Zhifeng Li 3,  Huawen Liu 4,  Haiwei Zhang 5,  Na Xing 6,  Yu Wang 7,  Weiwei Xue 8,  Yan Xiong 1,  Shanfu Zhang 1,  Qingting Zhao 1,  Shiyao Xu 1,  Jing Zhang 9,  Peihui Wang 9,  Weiqi Nian 5,  Xingsheng Wang 10,  Haibo Wu 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China.
  • 2 Medical school, Yan'an University, Yan'an, 716000 Shaanxi, China.
  • 3 Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 400042, China.
  • 4 Affiliated Three Gorges Hospital of Chongqing University, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Chongqing 404100, China.
  • 5 Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment, Chongqing University Cancer Hospital, Chongqing 400030, China.
  • 6 Institut für Virologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
  • 7 Technical Center of Chongqing Customs, Chongqing 401147, China.
  • 8 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China.
  • 9 Advanced Medical Research Institute, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
  • 10 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Central Hospital of Chongqing University, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing 400014, China.
PMID: 33723527 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102293
Abstract

Recently, COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has brought great challenges to the world. More and more studies have shown that patients with severe COVID-19 may suffer from cytokine storm syndrome; however, there are few studies on its pathogenesis. Here we demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 coding protein open reading frame 8 (ORF8) acted as a contributing factor to cytokine storm during COVID-19 Infection. ORF8 could activate IL-17 signaling pathway and promote the expression of pro-inflammatory factors. Moreover, we demonstrated that treatment of IL17RA antibody protected mice from ORF8-induced inflammation. Our findings are helpful to understand the pathogenesis of cytokine storm caused by SARS-CoV-2 and provide a potential target for the development of COVID-19 therapeutic drugs.

Keywords

Biological Sciences; Microbiology; Virology.

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