SARS-CoV-2 spike protein induces the cytokine release syndrome by stimulating T cells to produce more IL-2

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is one of the leading causes of mortality in COVID-19 patients caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However, the mechanism of CRS induced by SARS-CoV-2 is vague. This study shows that dendritic cells loaded with spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 stimulate T cells to release much more IL-2, which subsequently cooperates with spike protein to facilitate peripheral blood mononuclear cells to release IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8. The aim of this sequencing is to find the key molecular of IL-2 synergistic spike protein releasing much more inflammatory factors in PBMCs and to explore the molecular mechanism.