TOGGLE MACROPHAGE

synthetic antiviral macrophages with immune-regulatory capacity

Combatting Cytokine Storm of COVID-19

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the urgent need for specific therapeutics targeting on the late-stage patients with “cytokine storm”. It’s suggested that “cytokine storm” is highly associated with disease severity and mortality.

cytokine storm

细胞因子风暴（cytokine storm）是指机体感染微生物后引起体液中多种细胞因子如TNF-α、IL-1、IL-6、IL-12、IFN-α、IFN-β、IFN-γ、MCP-1和IL-8等迅速大量产生的现象，是引起急性呼吸窘迫综合征和多脏器衰竭的重要原因. 学术研究人员、制药公司和政府机构已将他们的共同努力集中在疫苗和抗病毒疗法上，但是大量的研究表明免疫病理损伤，尤其是以高水平的外周细胞因子为特征的细胞因子风暴可能是导致新冠感染者死亡的罪魁祸首。 2020年1月24日，《柳叶刀》发表的SARS-CoV-2感染病例首批临床数据报告指出，在危重病人中可见细胞因子风暴发生。近日，中国科学院院士周琪院士也表示细胞因子风暴是新冠肺炎患者轻症向重症和危重症转换的一个重要节点，同时也是现在重症和危重症死亡的一个原因

Balance the immune response

Thus elimination of the SARS-COV-2 and balance the immune response are both important for late-stage COVID-19, however, no ideal therapeutics can achieve the two goals for our knowledge

To fill in the gaps , we designed synthetic macrophages named “Toggle Macrophages”. As "smart" therapeutics, Toggle Macrophages can both reduce the viral load through phagocytosis and balance the immune system via phenotypic transformation.

Smart Toggle Macrophages

Thus elimination of the SARS-COV-2 and balance the immune response are both important for late-stage COVID-19, however, no ideal therapeutics can achieve the two goals for our knowledge

Utilizing our model

we optimized the usage amount of constructed macrophages and demonstrated its feasibility as antiviral therapy with immune-regulatory effect.

Potential Therapy

Our research provides a potential therapy in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, especially in severe cases. Sincerely hope that our research could lay a foundation for the further application of this method in the near future.

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Team:NMU China/home1