HCG Hospital gets nod to hold trials for cytokine therapy

The HCG Hospital has been granted approval for phase 1 clinical trials for treating mild to moderate COVID-19 patients with cytokine therapy. This comes after the hospital began phase 1 clinical trials for convalescent plasma therapy for critical patients.

The cytokines used in the therapy are a group of proteins secreted by the immune cells that act as chemical messengers or enable cell-to-cell communication. Cytokines stimulate cell movement towards areas that have inflammation, infection or trauma.

HCG researchers were surprised to notice children with an immature immune system recover well from the COVID-19 infection and have milder symptoms, while those in the over 65 age group with matured immunity succumb to coronavirus.

“The active thymus gland is well developed in children when they are in the womb and becomes active after birth, while the thymus degenerates in people above 65,” said Dr Vishal Rao, principal investigator of the clinical trial.

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The thymus maintains the memory of a virus and prepares the cells for a sustained, long-term fight.

When a virus invades the body, the broad passive immune system (innate immunity) in the cells offers immediate resistance. The response builds over two to three days to curtail the infection, about which time the strong and more specific active immune system (acquired immunity) from the thymus should take over.

Cytokines — released from the immune cells derived from the thymus gland — mediates the change from passive to active immunity. Coronavirus targets this changeover, leading to a severe infection. It becomes fatal in patients above 65.

“We have begun a study to inject a cytokine mixture derived from the thymus origin cells that holds promise to reactivate this memory and help eliminate the virus,” Dr Rao said.

The team of Dr Vishal Rao, Dr Gururaj Rao and Dr Jyothsna Rao needs eight healthy donors who consent to get the cytokine mixture injected, following which the doctors will approach the Covid-19 patients.