Table 2.

Current and potential drugs affecting DCs in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Treatment	Availability	Mechanisms of Action	Potential Target	Evidences
Anti-S protein	Available	Prevents viral entry, neutralizes virus	DC & Other cells	Prevents trans-infection of SARS-CoV-1 by DC
Anti-IL-6	Available	IL-6 inhibitor, blocks cytokine storm	DC & Other cells	Increases the capacity of DC to activate T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-1
Tocilizumab/Sarilumab	Available	IL-6 receptor inhibitor, blocks cytokine storm	DC & Other cells	Expected to have same effect as anti-IL-6 on DC
Corticosteroids	Available	lower the levels of pDC, cDC, CD4 and CD8+ T cells	DC & Other cells	Limit DC levels, may further delay pDC response
Chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine	Available	Not known, change the pH of endosomes, prevent viral entry, transport, and post-entry events	DC & Other cells	Increases antigen presentation by DC
Mavrilimumab (anti-GMCSFRα)	Available	Decrease leukocyte activation, ameliorate immunosuppression	DC, macrophages, NK, and T cells	GM-CSF promotes tolerogenic DC. Downstream effects resemble multi-system inflammatory syndrome
Type I IFN	Available	Compensate for insufficient type I IFN production by DC	Cells that are permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection.	Production by pDC is suppressed, is lowest in severest cases.
TLR3 Agonist (poly I:C)	Potential	Stimulate type I IFN production by DC	DC & Other cells	Prophylactic intranasal use is 100% protective for SARS-CoV-1-infected mice
Anti-NRP	Potential	Inhibit viral entry	DC, respiratory and olfactory epithelia	Five out of 6 autopsy samples are positive for both S protein and NRP1
LL-37	Potential	Induces inflammasome activation, IL-1β and IL-18	DC & Other cells	Induces DC maturation and release of type I IFN by APCs
Anti- Kynurenine pathway (nicotinylalanine/meta-nitrobenzoylalanine)	Potential	Strengthen adaptive immunity	DC and CD8 T cells	Pathway drives immunosuppressive activity of DC and CD8 T cell