Common Anti-Inflammatory Drugs May Help Dangerous Viruses Spread, Study Finds
Norwegian scientists have found that JAK inhibitors — widely prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs used for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions — suppress a key immune defence, allowing influenza A, COVID-19 and other viruses to replicate and spread more easily in patients.
A study published in NAR Molecular Medicine by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) found that JAK inhibitors — a class of anti-inflammatory medications prescribed for autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis — unintentionally weaken the body's antiviral defences. JAK inhibitors work by suppressing immune signalling pathways, but the researchers found this also reduces the activity of genes involved in fighting viral infections, genes that normally help protect healthy cells from viral attack. In laboratory experiments using organoid technology — miniature tissue models of lung, eye and brain tissue — alongside gene expression analysis, the team demonstrated that JAK inhibitors increased vulnerability to four dangerous pathogens: influenza A, SARS-CoV-2, adenovirus and Rift Valley fever virus. By suppressing this immune signalling, the drugs remove a critical barrier, allowing viruses to spread between cells more easily. "They can help viruses spread more easily in the body," said Professor Denis Kainov, a co-author of the study. Erlend Ravlo, a PhD research fellow at NTNU and first author of the paper, noted that the drugs "can pose a hidden risk for patients who have latent or active viral infections." The researchers are not calling for patients to stop their medication, but urge doctors to exercise extra caution when prescribing JAK inhibitors during periods of heightened viral transmission. Further research is recommended to optimise prescribing guidelines, particularly during outbreaks and pandemics.
