Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2 has led to more than 200,000 deaths worldwide. Several studies have now established that the hyperinflammatory response induced by SARS-CoV-2 is a major cause of disease severity and death in infected patients. Macrophages are a population of innate immune cells that sense and respond to microbial threats by producing inflammatory molecules that eliminate pathogens and promote tissue repair. However, a dysregulated macrophage response can be damaging to the host, as is seen in the macrophage activation syndrome induced by severe infections, including in infections with the related virus SARS-CoV. Here we describe the potentially pathological roles of macrophages during SARS-CoV-2 infection and discuss ongoing and prospective therapeutic strategies to modulate macrophage activation in patients with COVID-19.
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02 June 2020
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-020-0353-y
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank C. Gianarelli, A. Leader (ISMMS), R. Josien, A. Roquilly, C. Bressollette, B. Gaborit, J. Poschmann and C. Braudeau (Université de Nantes, Inserm, CHU Nantes) for important discussion and insights.
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Merad, M., Martin, J.C. Pathological inflammation in patients with COVID-19: a key role for monocytes and macrophages. Nat Rev Immunol 20, 355–362 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-020-0331-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-020-0331-4
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