ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2020
Natural Killer Cell Dysfunction and Its Role in COVID-19.
Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 112 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
112 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 184 citations in OpenAlex.
- Biomarkers for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): a systematic review.BMC medicine · 2023Pooled it
- COVID-19-Associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS): Mechanistic insights on therapeutic intervention and emerging trends.International immunopharmacology · 2021Pooled it
- Shared inflammatory pathways and therapeutic strategies in COVID-19 and cancer immunotherapy.Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 2021Pooled it
- Trial
- A phase 1/2 clinical trial of invariant natural killer T cell therapy in moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome.Nature communications · 2024Trial
- Immunomodulatory role of Nanocurcumin in COVID-19 patients with dropped natural killer cells frequency and function.European journal of pharmacology · 2022Trial
- Systems analysis of immune responses to attenuated P. falciparum malaria sporozoite vaccination reveals excessive inflammatory signatures correlating with impaired immunity.PLoS pathogens · 2022Trial
- Cytokine and Lymphocyte Profiles in COVID-19 Patients with Cancer: Implications for Disease Severity and Clinical Outcomes.Viruses · 2026Article
- An autoimmunity-associated allele ofProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026Article
- Identification and Validation of a Two-Gene NK Cell-Related Risk Model for COPD: Integration of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA-Seq Analysis.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2026Article
- COVID-19 infection and cancer regression: a review of current evidence, potential mechanisms, and clinical perspectives on a Paradoxical phenomenon.Infectious agents and cancer · 2025Review
- An Autoimmunity-associated allele ofbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Association between enteral essential fatty acids and plasma phospholipid essential fatty acids related immune response in critically ill adults with COVID-19: A prospective cohort study.JPEN. Journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition · 2025Article
- Immunological orchestration and dysregulation in COVID-19 pneumonia: from viral pathogenesis to precision therapeutics in the post-pandemic era.Folia microbiologica · 2025Review
- NK Cells: A Powerful Squad Versus SARS-CoV-2.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Optimized tacrolimus dosing strategy in kidney transplant recipients receiving nirmatrelvir-ritonavir for COVID-19.PloS one · 2025Observational
- Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a 5-month-old infant with IBD post-COVID-19: a case report.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2025Article
- Low-Dose naltrexone restored TRPM3 ion channel function in natural killer cells from long COVID patients.Frontiers in molecular biosciences · 2025Article
- Immune Dysregulation in the Oral Cavity during Early SARS-CoV-2 Infection.Journal of dental research · 2024Article
- RNA-Seq analysis of human heart tissue reveals SARS-CoV-2 infection and inappropriate activation of the TNF-NF-κB pathway in cardiomyocytes.Scientific reports · 2024Article
52 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
When facing an acute viral infection, our immune systems need to function with finite precision to enable the elimination of the pathogen, whilst protecting our bodies from immune-related damage. In many instances however this "perfect balance" is not achieved, factors such as ageing, cancer, autoimmunity and cardiovascular disease all skew the immune response which is then further distorted by viral infection. In SARS-CoV-2, although the vast majority of COVID-19 cases are mild, as of 24 August 2020, over 800,000 people have died, many from the severe inflammatory cytokine release resulting in extreme clinical manifestations such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Severe complications are more common in elderly patients and patients with cardiovascular diseases. Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in modulating the immune response and in both of these patient groups, NK cell effector functions are blunted. Preliminary studies in COVID-19 patients with severe disease suggests a reduction in NK cell number and function, resulting in decreased clearance of infected and activated cells, and unchecked elevation of tissue-damaging inflammation markers. SARS-CoV-2 infection skews the immune response towards an overwhelmingly inflammatory phenotype. Restoration of NK cell effector functions has the potential to correct the delicate immune balance required to effectively overcome SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.