Cited by 1,734COVID-19 Clinical Research Studiesinterferon and immune responsesInflammasome and immune disorders

Synergism of TNF-α and IFN-γ Triggers Inflammatory Cell Death, Tissue Damage, and Mortality in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Cytokine Shock Syndromes

Open access
Karki, Rajendra, Sharma, Bhesh Raj, Tuladhar, Shraddha, Williams, Evan Peter, Zalduondo, Lillian, Samir, Parimal, Zheng, Min, Sundaram, Balamurugan +8 more·2021·Cell

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

COVID-19 is characterized by excessive production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute lung damage associated with patient mortality. While multiple inflammatory cytokines are produced by innate immune cells during SARS-CoV-2 infection, we found that only the combination of TNF-α and IFN-γ induced inflammatory cell death characterized by inflammatory cell death, PANoptosis. Mechanistically, TNF-α and IFN-γ co-treatment activated the JAK/STAT1/IRF1 axis, inducing nitric oxide production and driving caspase-8/FADD-mediated PANoptosis. TNF-α and IFN-γ caused a lethal cytokine shock in mice that mirrors the tissue damage and inflammation of COVID-19, and inhibiting PANoptosis protected mice from this pathology and death. Furthermore, treating with neutralizing antibodies against TNF-α and IFN-γ protected mice from mortality during SARS-CoV-2 infection, sepsis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, and cytokine shock. Collectively, our findings suggest that blocking the cytokine-mediated inflammatory cell death signaling pathway identified here may benefit patients with COVID-19 or other infectious and autoinflammatory diseases by limiting tissue damage/inflammation.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.025

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  • PANoptosis is involved in the occurrence of cytokine storms (CS) characterized by excessive cytokine production.

    “PANoptosis is involved in the occurrence of cytokine storms (CS) characterized by excessive cytokine production.276”
  • The combination of TNF-α and IFN-γ activates the JAK/STAT1/IRF1 signaling pathway, leading to the production of nitric oxide (NO).

    “The combination of TNF-α and IFN-γ activates the JAK/STAT1/IRF1 signaling pathway, leading to the production of nitric oxide (NO).”
  • This NO release triggers PANoptosis through the involvement of GSDME (pyroptotic), CASP8/3/7 (apoptotic), and pMLKL (necroptotic) pathways.

    “This NO release triggers PANoptosis through the involvement of GSDME (pyroptotic), CASP8/3/7 (apoptotic), and pMLKL (necroptotic) pathways.”
  • In vivo, blocking CS by giving mice anti-TNF-α and anti-IFN-γ antibodies prevents death from SARS-CoV-2 infection, hemophagocytic lymph histiocytosis, and LPS shock (sepsis).

    “In vivo, blocking CS by giving mice anti-TNF-α and anti-IFN-γ antibodies prevents death from SARS-CoV-2 infection, hemophagocytic lymph histiocytosis, and LPS shock (sepsis).276”
  • Marked systemic upregulation of TNF α and IFN γ can promote tissue damage.

    “While marked systemic upregulation of TNF α and IFN γ can promote tissue damage 50”

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Authors
Karki, R., Sharma, B. R., Tuladhar, S., Williams, E. P., Zalduondo, L., Samir, P., Zheng, M., Sundaram, B., Banoth, B., Malireddi, R. K. S., Schreiner, P., Neale, G., Vogel, P., Webby, R., Jonsson, C. B., & Kanneganti, T.-D.
Affiliations
  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (US)
  • University of Tennessee Health Science Center (US)
Corresponding author
Kanneganti, Thirumala-Devi
Venue
Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-01
Volume
184
Issue
1
Pages
149-168.e17
ISSN
0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3105908160
Cited by
1,734
References
134
Citations by year
2026: 223 · 2025: 302 · 2024: 318 · 2023: 321 · 2022: 303 · 2021: 249 · 2020: 15
FWCI
29.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Seoul National University Open Repository (Seoul National University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities
  • National Institutes of Health (AR056296, AI124346, AI101935, CA253095, 63/106,012, NR-52281)
  • RIKEN
  • Genentech
  • Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › interferon and immune responses
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Inflammasome and immune disorders
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pandemic, TNF-α, interferon-gamma, PANoptosis, inflammatory cell death, cytokine storm, nitric oxide, caspase-8, FADD, sepsis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, tissue damage, mortality
MeSH terms
THP-1 Cells, Cytokine Release Syndrome, COVID-19, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Interferon-gamma, Male, Mice, Transgenic, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha, Cell Death, Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic, Mice, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

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