First, they demonstrated the enzyme’s anti-inflammatory effects and its ability to regulate the production of cytokines, a protein that is produced in white blood cells. Cytokines are an important part of the human immune system, but they can also signal the immune system to attack the body’s own cells if too many are made — a so-called “cytokine storm” that is reported in some patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Second, the team showed that catalase can protect alveolar cells, which line the human lungs, from damage due to oxidation.
Finally, the experiments showed that catalase can repress the replication of SARS-CoV-2 virus in rhesus macaques, a type of monkey, without noticeable toxicity.
“This work has far-reaching implications beyond the treatment of COVID-19. Cytokine storm is a lethal condition that can complicate other infections, such as influenza, as well as non-infectious conditions, like autoimmune disease,” said Dr. Gregory Fishbein, an author on the study and a pathologist at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.
