AUTHOR=Johnson Howard M. , Lewin Alfred S. , Ahmed Chulbul M. TITLE=SOCS, Intrinsic Virulence Factors, and Treatment of COVID-19 JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.582102 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2020.582102 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=
The suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) family of intracellular checkpoint inhibitors has received little recognition compared to other checkpoint inhibitors. Two members of this family, SOCS1 and SOCS3, are indispensable, since SOCS1 knockout in mice results in neonatal death due to interferon gamma (IFNγ) induced inflammatory disease, and SOCS3 knockout leads to embryonic lethality. We have shown that SOCS1 and SOCS3 (SOCS1/3) function as virus induced intrinsic virulence factors for influenza A virus, EMC virus, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), and vaccinia virus infections. Other viruses such as pathogenic pig enteric coronavirus and coronavirus induced severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) spike protein also induce SOCS virus intrinsic virulence factors. SOCS1/3 exert their viral virulence effect