Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Chetan Bettegowda talks about his research studying cancer immunotherapies and why, in some cases, they can enhance the immune system so much that they cause a cytokine storm and profound immune dysregulation. He and his team have identified that a catecholamine surge precedes and likely drives the immune dysregulation and cytokine storm, which can lead to pulmonary and end-organ dysfunction. Importantly, his team noted that alpha-adrenergic blockers, a class of FDA-approved drugs used to treat hypertension, can abrogate the catecholamine surge and prevent a cytokine storm. With the rise of COVID-19, Dr. Bettegowda started looking at how this line of investigation could play a role in the treatment of cytokine storms being seen in patients with COVID-19.