Investigating the therapeutic effects of Dexamethasone against COVID-19 infection

U of A School of Dentistry immunologist working on study to help seriously-ill COVID-19 patients.

30 September 2020

Researchers worldwide are urgently working to identify potential drugs to tackle COVID-19 infection. A recent report suggested that Dexamethasone, a commonly-used steroid for over 50 years, can be beneficial in seriously-ill patients with COVID-19. However, it's unclear why some patients benefit from Dexamethasone but not others.

In his most recent project, Dr. Shokrollah Elahi and his research team plan to investigate Dexamethasone's therapeutic effects on isolated cells from both severely sick patients and those with a milder form of the COVID-19 disease. Thus, understanding why Dexamethasone is beneficial in some versus others will significantly impact the field.

Their studies will enable them to design different treatment strategies based on different patients' responsiveness to this medication.