Vol. 6, Issue 1, Part A (2024)

Cytokine storms, or hypercytokinemia, represent a hallmark of severe viral infections where the immune system's response becomes dysregulated, leading to pathological consequences. This phenomenon, characterized by an overwhelming release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, plays a critical role in the progression of diseases such as influenza, dengue, Ebola, and more recently, COVID-19. While cytokines are essential for initiating antiviral immunity, their excessive or uncoordinated release contributes to systemic inflammation, vascular dysfunction, tissue damage, and, in many cases, multi-organ failure. This review examines the mechanisms underlying cytokine storms during viral infections, elucidates the signaling pathways involved, highlights viral strategies that hijack immune responses, and discusses current and emerging therapeutic interventions aimed at modulating the hyperinflammatory state. Special emphasis is placed on COVID-19 as a recent case study of global relevance, while drawing comparative insights from other viral infections to underscore the common immunopathological threads.