Low Dose Naltrexone Could Be the Key to Reversing Immune Dysfunction in Long COVID Patients
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Apr 09, 2025 1 week, 14 hours, 53 minutes ago
Medical News: A team of scientists from multiple renowned research institutions in Australia and Japan has uncovered new hope for individuals suffering from long COVID, a debilitating condition that continues to affect millions across the globe. The study, led by experts from the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases at Griffith University in Gold Coast, has shown that low-dose naltrexone (LDN) can restore crucial immune cell function in long COVID patients.
Low Dose Naltrexone Could Be the Key to Reversing Immune Dysfunction in Long COVID Patients
The collaborating institutions in this groundbreaking research include the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at Griffith University, Queensland Allergy Services in Gold Coast, Consortium Health International for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also based at Griffith), and the Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology at the School of Pharmacy in Aichi-Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan. This
Medical News report delves into how a simple repurposed drug may help normalize a key biological pathway disrupted by the lingering impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
A Closer Look at Long COVID and Immune Dysfunction
Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is a complex, multisystemic condition. It manifests with persistent symptoms ranging from brain fog and fatigue to heart palpitations and digestive issues, even long after the initial COVID-19 infection has resolved. A growing body of evidence has linked this condition to abnormalities in the functioning of the Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 (TRPM3) ion channels, especially in natural killer (NK) cells - a critical part of the body’s innate immune system.
These TRPM3 ion channels are responsible for allowing calcium ions (Ca2+) to flow into cells. Calcium influx plays a vital role in cellular processes, including immune responses, nerve signaling, and metabolism. In long COVID patients, researchers have found that TRPM3 ion channels are dysfunctional, leading to reduced calcium entry and compromised cellular function.
The Study Design and Key Discoveries
To investigate whether LDN could help, the research team collected NK cells from three different groups: nine long COVID patients not receiving LDN, nine healthy individuals, and nine long COVID patients undergoing LDN therapy at daily doses of 3 to 4.5 milligrams. These cells were subjected to electrophysiological experiments that tested their TRPM3 ion channel responses using pregnenolone sulfate (PregS), a known TRPM3 activator, and ononetin, a TRPM3 inhibitor.
Remarkably, the study showed that NK cells from long COVID patients treated with LDN had restored TRPM3 channel activity. These treated cells responded to PregS with robust calcium currents and resisted suppression by ononetin, closely mirroring the response seen in healthy control cells. Statistically, there was no significant difference in TRPM3 current amplitude or inhibitor resistance between the LDN-treated long COVID group and healthy controls (p > 0.9999 for b
oth measures), providing strong evidence of full functional recovery.
Why Low Dose Naltrexone Might Be a Game Changer
Naltrexone is traditionally used at higher doses to treat opioid addiction. However, at much lower doses, it has shown promise in treating various chronic illnesses by modulating immune system responses. In this study, LDN appears to support the reactivation of TRPM3 channels in NK cells, effectively restoring the cell’s ability to regulate calcium - a core necessity for maintaining immune homeostasis and general cellular health.
Given the persistent and often disabling symptoms of long COVID, the ability to reestablish normal immune cell function could represent a pivotal step toward managing or even reversing this condition. These findings add to the growing support for using LDN as a low-cost, well-tolerated, and widely accessible treatment option.
Conclusion
This study is the first of its kind to clearly demonstrate that low-dose naltrexone can restore TRPM3 ion channel function in natural killer cells affected by long COVID. These findings not only reaffirm the role of TRPM3 dysfunction in long COVID pathology but also suggest that LDN could offer a powerful tool in reestablishing immune balance. With no significant differences in TRPM3 function between LDN-treated patients and healthy controls, the drug shows remarkable potential. Further large-scale clinical studies are warranted, but this research gives new hope to those suffering from long COVID and points toward a safe and scalable therapeutic strategy.
The study findings were published as an abstract in the peer reviewed journal: Frontiers in Immunology.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-biosciences/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2025.1582967/abstract
For the latest on Long COVID, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
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