In a review published in the NEJM, 'preliminary data concerning the potential activity of type 1 interferons on SARS-CoV-2, and the relevance of evaluating these molecules in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19' were discussed.
Highlights
• Interferon treatment has shown mixed efficiency against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
• SARS-CoV-2 is probably more sensitive to interferon than the other coronaviruses.
• The IFNβ subtype appears to be the most suited for COVID-19 treatment.
• Interferon treatment should be performed in the early stages of the infection.
• Investigation on interferon-based COVID-19 treatment is warranted.
Erwan Sallard, François-Xavier Lescure, Yazdan Yazdanpanah, France Mentre, Nathan Peiffer-Smadja, Type 1 interferons as a potential treatment against COVID-19, Antiviral Research, Volume 178, 2020, 104791, ISSN 0166-3542,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104791.
