BCG Vaccine-Induced Trained Immunity and COVID-19: Protective or Bystander?

Gopala Koneru; Gaber El-Saber Batiha; Abdelazeem M. Algammal; Mahmoud Mabrok; Sara Magdy; Shrouk Sayed; Mai E. AbuElmagd; Reham Elnemr; Mahmoud M. Saad; Noura H. Abd Ellah; Amal Hosni; Khalid Muhammad; Helal F. Hetta

doi:10.2147/IDR.S300162

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BCG Vaccine-Induced Trained Immunity and COVID-19: Protective or Bystander?

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

BCG Vaccine-Induced Trained Immunity and COVID-19: Protective or Bystander?

Gopala Koneru, Gaber El-Saber Batiha, Abdelazeem M. Algammal, Mahmoud Mabrok, Sara Magdy, Shrouk Sayed, Mai E. AbuElmagd, Reham Elnemr, Mahmoud M. Saad, Noura H. Abd Ellah, …

Infection and drug resistance, Vol.14, pp.1169-1184

01/01/2021

DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S300162

PMCID: PMC8001200

PMID: 33790587

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Abstract

In late 2019, a new virulent coronavirus (CoV) emerged in Wuhan, China and was named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). This virus spread rapidly, causing the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a live attenuated tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, associated with induction of non-specific cross-protection against unrelated infections. This protection is a memory-like response in innate immune cells (trained immunity), which is caused by epigenetic reprogramming via histone modification in the regulatory elements of specific genes in monocytes. COVID-19 related epidemiological studies showed an inverse relationship between national BCG vaccination policies and COVID-19 incidence and death, suggesting that BCG may induce trained immunity that could confer some protection against SARS-CoV-2. As this pandemic has put most of Earth's population under quarantine, repurposing of the old, well-characterized BCG may ensure some protection against COVID-19. This review focuses on BCG-related cross-protection and acquisition of trained immunity, as well as the correlation between BCG vaccination and COVID-19 incidence and mortality.

Infectious Diseases

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Pharmacology & Pharmacy

Science & Technology

Details

Title: Subtitle: BCG Vaccine-Induced Trained Immunity and COVID-19: Protective or Bystander?
Creators: Gopala Koneru - Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Gaber El-Saber Batiha - Damanhour University
Abdelazeem M. Algammal - Suez Canal University
Mahmoud Mabrok - Suez Canal University
Sara Magdy - Assiut University
Shrouk Sayed - Assiut University
Mai E. AbuElmagd - Assiut University
Reham Elnemr - Assiut University
Mahmoud M. Saad - Assiut University
Noura H. Abd Ellah - Assiut University
Amal Hosni - Assiut University
Khalid Muhammad - United Arab Emirates University
Helal F. Hetta - Assiut University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Infection and drug resistance, Vol.14, pp.1169-1184
DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S300162
PMID: 33790587
PMCID: PMC8001200
NLM abbreviation: Infect Drug Resist
ISSN: 1178-6973
eISSN: 1178-6973
Publisher: Dove Medical Press Ltd
Number of pages: 16
Grant note: G3458 / UAEU-UPAR-Grant G3347 / UAE University-start up Grant
Language: English
Date published: 01/01/2021
Academic Unit: Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984359682002771

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