COVID-19 preclinical drug development database
Inhibition of inflammasome activation in COVID-19 – towards resolving adverse immunological responses
University of Liverpool
Added 03/06/2020 | Updated 04/10/2021
Project Details
Type of project
- Tier 1: repurposing existing medicines
- Target identification or validation
- Supporting technologies, models and assays
Therapeutic target
- Preventing cytokine release syndrome (immunomodulation or suppression)
Type of supporting technology
- Assays and protocols (eg. for virus detection)
- Inflammasome activity, T cell and monocyte responses
Phase of project
- Focused compound screening (eg. known antiviral compounds)
- Lead optimisation and activity validation
Modality (if can be disclosed)*
- Small molecule
- Nanoformulations
Molecular/cellular target (if known or can be disclosed)*
Partner institutions/organisations
- University of Liverpool
Key contact
Name: Neill Liptrott
Email Address: neill.liptrott@liverpool.ac.uk
Phone Number: 0151 795 7566
Key Collaborators:
Anticipated timeframe of future outputs
3-6 months
This research project is looking for the following:
Access to, patient, plasma samples and peripheral blood cells.Further Details
Abstract or additional information (if available)*
Our previous work has demonstrated that inhibition of inflammasome activation may prove beneficial in treating patients with severe immunological responses. We have recently published a strategy for the repurposing of existing drugs, for utility against SARS-CoV-2, based on their EC50 against the virus and their pharmacokinetic parameters. We now propose to utilise this strategy to determine the impact of these drugs on inflammasome inhibition. Following a literature search of the prioritised drugs, we have identified a number of options for inflammasome inhibition to be used clinically in COVID-19 patients and aligned this with known pharmacokinetic parameters. The purpose of the, proposed, work is to accurately determine the impact of these molecules on inflammasome activation in validated model systems (human immune cell lines), define their EC50s and as part of a strategy to repurpose existing drugs, with defined safety/tolerability profiles, and determine their clinical application as immune modulators in COVID-19 patients.
Published outputs (if available)*
