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

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.961027

COVID-19 and the potential of Janus family kinase (JAK) pathway inhibition: A novel treatment strategy

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Aug 30:9:961027. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.961027. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
³ Molecular Microbiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
⁵ Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
⁶ Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁷ Reference Laboratory for Bovine Tuberculosis, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran.
⁸ Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; JAK inhibitors; baricitinib; pacritinib; ruxolitinib; tofacitinib.

Publication types

Review