COVID-19 and the potential of Janus family kinase (JAK) pathway inhibition: A novel treatment strategy
Mansoor Khaledi, Fatemeh Sameni, Sheida Yahyazade, Maedeh Radandish, Parviz Owlia, Nader Bagheri, Hamed Afkhami, Mohamad Mahjoor, Zahra Esmaelpour, Maryam Kohansal, Farzad Aghaei
Abstract
Recent evidence proposed that the severity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients is a consequence of cytokine storm, characterized by increased IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Hence, managing the cytokine storm by drugs has been suggested for the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. Several of the proinflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection recruit a distinct intracellular signaling pathway mediated by JAKs. Consequently, JAK inhibitors, including baricitinib, pacritinib, ruxolitinib, and tofacitinib, may represent an effective therapeutic strategy for controlling the JAK to treat COVID-19. This study indicates the mechanism of cytokine storm and JAK/STAT pathway in COVID-19 as well as the medications used for JAK/STAT inhibitors.