Our scientists' breakthroughs could save thousands of lives before a vaccine is found.
Calming the COVID-19 storm
Our scientific teams with expertise in inflammation, infection and immunity hold vital clues to help tackle deadly virus outbreaks—like COVID-19.
Inflammation is a normal, protective reaction to infection—and a critical first step in activating the body’s full immune response. However, if uncontrolled, inflammation can lead to a range of debilitating and life-threatening conditions—acute respiratory syndromes, sepsis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, pneumonia, endometriosis, infertility and even cancer.
The life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe COVID-19 cases results from hyper-inflammation, similar to that seen during other SARS, MERS and avian influenza outbreaks. While most infections can be mild and cleared quickly, this is not true of all cases. The effect on our aged and immune-compromised communities has been devastating. Restricting this inflammation could help save lives before antiviral therapies and vaccines are developed and ready.
Several research teams at Hudson Institute are working on different approaches to curb this hyper-inflammation. In addition, we are investigating why some patients are affected more severely by COVID-19 than others—including the differences seen in adults and children.
When it comes to responding to a new infectious disease, there are many different pieces of the puzzle. In this issue, we look at some of the innovative approaches underway at Hudson Institute.
COVID-19 facts
- The coronavirus pandemic will affect millions globally
- The life-threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in severe COVID-19 cases results from hyper-inflammation
- The infection is most severe in the aged and immune-compromised
- The SARS CoV-2 virus appears to have originated in bats and passed to humans via an intermediary mammal
- COVID-19 is the most severe global pandemic since ‘Spanish’ influenza in 1918–1919, which killed between 50-100 million people and infected about a third of the world’s population.
Inflammation and infectious diseases
Severe COVID-19 infection presents as excessive lung inflammation, involving the build-up of cells and fluid in the lungs. This phenomenon, known as ARDS, restricts breathing and causes damage to the lungs. Severely affected patients will need ventilator assistance in intensive care.
COVID-19 has similar characteristics to severe Influenza A virus (IAV) infections, including the damaging lung inflammation that causes ARDS. Associate Professor Ashley Mansell and Dr Michelle Tate are collectively using their knowledge of severe inflammation from IAV studies to repurpose and develop potential drugs to treat COVID-19. The team has been sought out by international biotech companies due to their specialist expertise.
How we are tackling acute inflammation
- Identifying the molecular mechanisms of SARS CoV-2 induced inflammation
- Examining how COVID-19 results in severe lung inflammation
- Developing and testing new, and repurposed, anti-inflammatory compounds to treat ARDS in COVID-19.
Why is research into inflammation caused by infectious diseases needed?
“At the moment there are no effective treatments to address the devastating effect of inflammation caused by COVID-19,” A/Prof Mansell said. “There is a desperate worldwide need to identify and develop new therapies as quickly as possible.”
Dr Michelle Tate added, “Inflammation is involved in nearly every disease known to humankind and yet we understand very little of how, why and where this occurs and what causes it. If we understand the how and why, we can try and target it to reduce disease.”
COVID-19 MAY NOT BE OUR BIGGEST WORRY
There’s still the threat of an avian influenza virus emerging which may make COVID-19 look like a bad cough.
The current pandemic highlights several concerning facts
- The world is poorly prepared for new and sudden emerging infectious diseases.
- While vaccines are highly effective, the timeframe to develop, test, make and distribute a new vaccine for an emerging disease like COVID-19 is at least 12-18 months.
- The world currently lacks approved and effective anti-inflammatory drugs to treat emerging inflammatory infectious diseases.
- It is impossible to contain an infectious disease in a global community without strict quarantine measures that severely damage the economy. We have to be prepared with strategies and treatments when pandemics arise. A range of measures is needed to tackle a new virus on the scale of COVID-19 and ‘buy’ time until a vaccine is ready.
A/Prof Ash Mansell
Research Group Head, Pattern Recognition Receptors and Inflammation Research group
Dr Michelle Tate
Research Group Head, Viral and Immunity and Immunopathology Research group
Funders
NHMRC, commercial partners
Further funding is needed for this team to pursue research into repurposing existing drugs and for the methods of delivery to patients, including inhalers and nebulisers.
Help our researchers discover new treatments to save the lives of the most vulnerable COVID-19 patients.
Using our immune system to fight COVID-19
There is something unusual about the initial—or innate— immune response to COVID-19 compared to usual influenza patterns.
The disease severity is surprisingly low in children, but high in older people. Our innate immune response provides early antiviral protection and shapes the immunity required later for vaccine responses. But, if uncontrolled, the resulting hyper-acute inflammation from excess cytokines can lead to potentially lethal ARDS.
Hyper-acute inflammation in COVID-19
Sepsis is a hyper-acute inflammatory response leading to life-threatening organ dysfunction.
Sepsis is usually caused by bacterial infections; however, the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates that hyper-acute inflammation can also be part of viral infections. Many critical COVID-19 patients develop dangerous levels of hyper-acute inflammation, and this is associated with a high death rate.
Hudson Institute is a leading Australian medical research institute recognised internationally for discovery science and translational research.
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