Risiken und Chancen von Immuntherapien in Zeiten der Coronavirus-2019-Pandemie

Abstract

Immunotherapies form the essential basis of treatment for neuroinflammatory disease. However, in times of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the question is increasingly arising in clinical routine as to whether immunotherapy should be initiated, intensified, paused, or even discontinued in neurological patients due to the risk of infection. Uncertainty is caused primarily due to the fact that a number of national and international scientific medical societies have published differing recommendations in this regard. This article provides an overview of the mechanisms of action of immunotherapies and the resulting risks of infection with COVID-19. Potential opportunities and beneficial effects of individual substrates in the acute treatment of COVID-19 are discussed.