New treatment to protect patients from severe COVID-19 is being tested in the UK
Sir Stephen Holgate MAE leads the research group at the University of Southampton where the new treatment has been developed.
Interferon beta (IFNb) is a naturally occurring protein that orchestrates the body’s antiviral responses. Respiratory viruses, including coronavirus have developed a mechanism to suppress IFNb production by the lung, helping the virus to escape the immune response and thereby putting patients at risk of severe lung disease.