Viral proteins from SARS-CoV-2 mimic human immune peptides, causing exaggerated proinflammatory immune responses

[Hip]

Article: "Zombie" viral fragments trigger inflammation to cause serious COVID-19 outcomes

The research team found SARS-CoV-2 fragments can imitate innate immune peptides, a class of immune molecules that amplify signals to activate the body's natural defenses.

Study: Viral afterlife: SARS-CoV-2 as a reservoir of immunomimetic peptides that reassemble into proinflammatory supramolecular complexes

Discussion

We have shown that an unanticipated mechanism for propagating inflammation through uninfected cells exists for SARS-CoV-2 but not for common cold coronaviruses. This mechanism involves viral fragments able to mimic AMPs like LL-37 cathelicidin in host innate immunity.

Given that LL-37 is involved in pathogenesis of lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, the notion that SARS-CoV-2 peptide fragments can imitate LL-37 may be conceptually salient for understanding why the immune systems of COVID-19 patients resemble those of people with autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis

Whether these SARS-CoV-2 fragments imitating peptides from the innate immune system might be playing a role in long COVID ME/CFS, the study did not say.

 

[linusbert]

this is so disgusting. what they brew up in their laboratories with this disgusting virus is far beyond... and extremely frightening. i wonder if my increasing inflammatory markers and allergies and asthma are because of this virus.
but by chance do they mention how to protect from those?