Tocilizumab

Tocilizumab

Subject: Science and Technology

Context:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the use of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) blockers — tocilizumab and sarilumab — as part of COVID-19 management protocol.

Concept:

IL-6

• IL-6 is an inflammatory marker that is responsible for a cytokine storm in the body, mostly in the second phase of COVID-19 infection.
• When the immune system mounts a fight against SARS-CoV-2, at times, it starts attacking the body’s other systems. This process is known as inflammation. The inflammation is followed by a drop in oxygen saturation levels (hypoxia) and other complications.
• An increase in IL-6 levels may lead to a progression of the disease towards a severe form.
• Tocilizumab is IL-6 blocker was the drugs to be included in the WHO recommendation .It has issues of affordability and accessibility
• Corticosteroids also help in fighting inflammation.

Cytokine storm

• A cytokine storm is the hyper-reaction of the immune system, which then starts attacking the patient’s own organs and can prove fatal.
• Cytokines are signaling proteins that are released by cells at local high concentrations.
• It is characterized by the overproduction of immune cells and the cytokines themselves because of a dysregulation in the process.