Pinpointing the cause of COVID-19-related inflammatory surge

COVID-19 Research Area(s): Vaccines & Treatments

Dr. Alice Mui, associate professor in UBC’s faculty of medicine and researcher at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, is receiving $150,072 from CIHR to investigate why some patients with COVID-19 experience a surge of inflammatory proteins, called a cytokine storm, that can contribute to the development of acute respiratory distress. Her team will investigate whether the SARS-Co-V2 virus blocks the function of an anti-inflammatory cytokine called interleukin-10 in the body. Her team will also assess whether a compound they have developed can mimic the action of this cytokine and reduce inflammation in patients infected with the COVID-19 virus.