Phase I Pilot Study Investigating the Safety and Feasibility of Inhaled rhDNase1 and Its Impact on Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in Non-Ventilated COVID-19 Infected Patients

It has been reported that elevated numbers of neutrophils (PMNs) in the blood predicts poor outcomes and severity in patients with COVID-19 infections. Acute inflammation results in formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) by PMNs and NK cells. Pre-clinical studies showed that NETs are critically involved in the pathophysiology of ARDS and increased capacity of PMNs to form NETs was shown to correlated with increased severity and mortality in patients with ARDS after community-acquired pneumonia. In early reports, patients with severe COVID-19 infections were also found to have radiological and clinical findings of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). NETs can be degraded by DNase1 for which there is a human recombinant equivalent rhDNase1.

This study proposes:

1. to evaluate the safety and feasibility of inhaled rhDNase1 in severely ill COVID-19 patients requiring admission;
2. to evaluate the impact of rhDNase1 in limiting progression of disease and COVID-19 related complications in these patients;
3. and to investigate NETs as possible therapeutic targets in severe COVID-19 patients by quantifying levels of circulating NETs in the blood and sputum and correlating these with oxygen requirements, need for mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, radiological progression of ARDS, secondary bacterial infections (pneumonia, bacteremia and other), renal dysfunction, duration of ICU admission, and time to discharge or mortality.