A clinical trial led by Richard S. Hotchkiss, MD, a professor of anesthesiology at WashU Medicine, has found that treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with an immune-boosting protein reduces life-threatening secondary infections, a major cause of death in such patients. The protein is a cytokine, called interleukin-7 (IL-7), naturally produced by the body. The study highlights the potential for IL-7 treatment to improve outcomes among immunocompromised COVID-19 patients.
Read more about the study, published Feb. 2 in JCI Insight, on the Department of Anesthesiology website.
