Carbon dioxide and MAPK signalling: towards therapy for inflammation

Inflammation, although necessary to fight infections, becomes a threat when it exceeds the capability of the immune system to control it. In addition, inflammation is a cause and/or symptom of many different disorders, including metabolic, neurodegenerative, autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases. Comorbidities and advanced age are typical predictors of more severe cases of seasonal viral infection, with COVID-19 a clear example. The primary importance of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the course of COVID-19 is evident in the mechanisms by which cells are infected with SARS-CoV-2; the cytokine storm that profoundly worsens a patient’s condition; the pathogenesis of diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, that contribute to a worsened prognosis; and post-COVID-19 complications, such as brain fog and thrombosis. An increasing number of reports have revealed that MAPKs are regulated by carbon dioxide (CO(2)); hence, we reviewed the literature to identify associations between CO(2) and MAPKs and possible therapeutic benefits resulting from the elevation of CO(2) levels. CO(2) regulates key processes leading to and resulting from inflammation, and the therapeutic effects of CO(2) (or bicarbonate, HCO(3)(−)) have been documented in all of the abovementioned comorbidities and complications of COVID-19 in which MAPKs play roles. The overlapping MAPK and CO(2) signalling pathways in the contexts of allergy, apoptosis and cell survival, pulmonary oedema (alveolar fluid resorption), and mechanical ventilation–induced responses in lungs and related to mitochondria are also discussed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-023-01306-x.