摘要
Effective prophylactic and therapeutic interventions are urgentlyneeded to address the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Various antiviral drugs have recently been tested.Type I interferon(IFN)is a regulatory protein involved in the innate immune response,with broad-spectrum antiviral activities and the ability to directly block viral replication and support the immune response to eliminate virus infection.Insufficient virus-induced type I IFN production is characteristic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)infection,because SARS-CoV-2 suppresses the IFN response by interacting with essential IFN signaling pathways.Exogenous type I IFN is recommended for treating COVID-19.Unexpectedly however,angiotensin converting enzyme-2(ACE2)receptor,which acts as a SARS-CoV-2 receptor,was shown to be stimulated by IFN,raising doubts about the suitability of IFN use.However,further studies have excluded concerns regarding IFN administration.Type I IFNs,including IFN-α1b,have been used clinically as antiviral drugs for many years and have shown strong antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2in vitro.Preliminary clinical studies of type I IFNs,especially when delivered via aerosol inhalation,have demonstrated efficacy for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.Randomized controlled trials of IFN for COVID-19 treatment are ongoing.
