Information and products associated with cytokine storm in novel coronavirus research

​​New research is rapidly accumulating around cytokine storms as a key biological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

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The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, represents a major global threat to public health. Patient symptoms and responses to COVID-19 are highly heterogeneous, and the immunological determinants of poor prognosis remain unknown. Severe cases of COVID-19 present with high viral loads, respiratory distress, and pulmonary damage that correlate with surges in patient cytokine levels, termed cytokine storm syndrome. 

Cytokine storm in COVID-19

Cytokines coordinate the body's response to infection and trigger inflammation, but in some cases, as seen with COVID-19, they appear to be released in excessive or uncontrolled amounts. This cytokine storm can lead to vital organ failure, including of the cardiac, lung and renal systems, and result in death. Initial evidence from China demonstrated elevated levels of the cytokines IL-6, IL-2R, CRP and ferritin in severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection.^1-3 

Further studies have highlighted persistently raised levels of the additional cytokines TNF-alpha, IP-10, MCP-3, and IL-1RA in severe patient cases of COVID-19.^{4, 5} New research is rapidly accumulating around cytokine storms as a key biological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

Many clinicians are analyzing potential treatments for the cytokine storm response seen in patients. One possible approach may be through targeting tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha).⁶ TNF-alpha is important in nearly all acute inflammatory reactions and has been identified in the blood and tissues of COVID-19 patients.⁷ Antibodies against TNF-alpha have been used for more than 20 years in severe case of autoimmune inflammatory disease. There are currently 10 FDA-approved and four off-label indications for anti-TNF therapy,^​8 indicating the validity in targeting this inflammatory factor. 

​​Research to profile patient responses and advance our understanding is essential to aid in the development of effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic solutions for COVID-19. 

Our product range for antibodies and proteins specific for the detection and analysis of human coronaviruses can be found here. 

If there is a product you need for COVID-19-related research that is not listed here, please contact us and we may be able to help.

FirePlex® for SARS CoV-2 research: mechanisms, mediators, targets and biomarkers

​​It is now broadly accepted that capturing the complexity of a biological process or defining a disease state cannot be accomplished by measuring a single biomarker. FirePlex is a multiplexed assay technology which allows the simultaneous measurement of numerous candidate protein biomarkers and thus enable biomarker discovery at unprecedented pace and scale. The content of FirePlex is geared towards the pro-inflammatory cytokines and soluble factors, many of which play a role in COVID-19 disease progression and outcome.

The ability to rapidly and sensitively analyze multiple markers in small volume patient samples is crucial to profiling the cytokines and soluble factors involved in the inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2 and the detection of cytokine storm in severe COVID-19 cases.

• FirePlex® is a multiplex technology capable of discovery-based studies quantifying up to 70 proteins in just 12.5 µl of biofluid patient sample in 96-well format, or high-throughput screening studies for quantifying 10 proteins from 6.25 µl sample in 384-well HTS format.  
• FirePlex® assay system offers custom-designed assays or pre-designed marker panels, including human cytokines and cardiac injury and toxicity marker panels.
• FirePlex®  assays are compatible with the majority of commercial flow cytometers for readout of discovery assays and high content imagers for readout of HTS assays. 

Antibodies and ELISA kits to study the cytokine storm 

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​References

1. ​Chen L, Liu HG, Liu W et al. Analysis of clinical features of 29 patients with 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia. Chinese Journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. (2020)  43(0):E005.
2. Wenjun Wang Jr., Jianxing He, Puyi Lie, et al. The definition and risks of Cytokine Release Syndrome-Like in 11 COVID-19-Infected Pneumonia critically ill patients: Disease Characteristics and Retrospective Analysis. medRxiv (2020) https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.26.20026989
3. Ruan Q, Yang K, Wang W., et al. Clinical predictors of mortality due to COVID-19 based on an analysis of data of 150 patients from Wuhan, China. Intensive Care Medicine (2020) https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-020-06028-z
4. Yang Y, Shen C, Li J, et al. Exuberant elevation of IP-10, MCP-3 and IL-1ra during SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with disease severity and fatal outcome. medRxiv (2020) https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.02.20029975
5. Pederson SF and Ho YC. SARS-CoV-2: A storm is raging. J. Clinic. Invest. (2020) pii:137647.​ 

6. Feldmann M, Maini RN, Woody JN et al. Trials of anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy for COVID-19 are urgently needed. Lancet. 2020 (published online Apr 9) doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30858-8. 

7. ​Wang L, He W, Yu X et al. Coronavirus disease 2019 in elderly patients: characteristics and prognostic factors based on 4-week follow-up. J Infect. 2020; (published online March 30.) DOI:10.1016/j.jinf.2020.03.019

8. Gerriets V, Bansal P, Khaddour K. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. Publishing, Treasure Island, FL2020

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