The Novel #H10N3 Avian #Influenza Virus Triggers Lethal #Cytokine #Storm by Activating Multiple Forms of Programmed Cell Death in Mammalian #Lungs
Abstract The novel H10N3 avian influenza virus (AIV) has infected four individuals since 2021 and caused severe respiratory damage , posing a significant threat to public health . However, its pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our findings revealed that H10N3 infection induces severe lung damage and causes death in mice , even at low doses. The elevated levels of multiple pro-inflammatory factors in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly increased during infection, displaying hallmarks of a cytokine storm . Transcriptome sequencing further revealed systematic activation of inflammation-related pathways, predicting that viral infection induces multiple forms of programmed cell death , including apoptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis . Protein-level validation showed that the activation of key cell death markers, including Caspase-3, GSDMD, and MLKL , significantly increased as the infection progressed, with their dynamic changes correlating strongly with the e...