Common anti-inflammatory drugs may help flu, COVID viruses spread: study

When you take a pill for a stiff, swollen joint, you expect it to do one job: reduce inflammation and help your body recover. Drugs are meant to treat diseases or, at the very least, alleviate their symptoms. But what if these very drugs are making you sicker? Most of us are aware that many medications have side effects; however, some can be quite serious. A team of scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has found that certain anti-inflammatory drugs may weaken the body’s defences against viruses, allowing them to spread more easily. The findings are published in the journal NAR Molecular Medicine.How some anti-inflammatory drugs open the door to virusesA class of drugs prescribed for autoimmune conditions may be doing more than expected. It might be quieting the body’s early warning system against viruses. Janus kinase inhibitors, or JAK inhibitors, calm an immune system that has turned against the body. Scientists now suspect that this calming effect can go too far. “We have found a surprising and potentially serious side effect of a class of anti-inflammatory drugs. They can help viruses spread more easily in the body,” Denis Kainov, a professor at the Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), said in a press release.Drugs help influenza, COVID-19 and other viruses spread more easilyThe researchers found that JAK inhibitors can make the body more vulnerable to viral infections, including COVID-19. “Among the viruses that more easily affect the body with the help of these drugs are Rift Valley fever virus, influenza A, adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,” Kainov said. These viruses can cause serious illness, even without medications making it easier for them to spread.“JAK inhibitors are often prescribed for autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis,” Erlend Ravlo, a PhD research fellow at NTNU and the first author of the article, explained. “In particular, the drugs suppress an important immune signalling pathway that helps protect healthy cells from viral attacks.”So how exactly do these drugs help viruses spread in the body? The researchers found that drugs such as baricitinib suppress the activity of genes that respond to viral infections.“These genes play a crucial role in the body’s response to viral infections,” Aleksandr Ianevski, an NTNU researcher and co-author of the new paper, said.By blocking this signalling pathway, these drugs weaken the body’s natural defences against viruses, making it easier for them to infect cells and spread. To understand the impact, the researchers studied cells from the lungs, eyes and brain, as well as laboratory-created mini-organs.“Although JAK inhibitors are effective in treating inflammation, this shows that they can pose a hidden risk for patients who have latent or active viral infections,” Ravlo said.Should you avoid JAK inhibitors altogether?The researchers suggested that healthcare professionals should exercise caution when prescribing JAK inhibitors, especially during a viral outbreak. This immunosuppressive effect may also be useful in controlled settings, such as vaccine development and the screening of antiviral drugs, they said.Raising awareness among medical professionals about the effects of these drugs is crucial. “We recommend further studies to better understand how the drugs can be used optimally, especially during virus outbreaks or pandemics,” Ianevski said.Note that this is a laboratory finding, not a verdict on patients. The paper does not tell doctors to stop prescribing these drugs. It asks them to remember that a medicine that calms inflammation can also weaken the defences a patient might need most, especially during an outbreak. If you take these medications, do not stop taking them or change your dosage without consulting your doctor.