Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Possibilities
As of January 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has killed over 2 million individuals across the world. As such, there is an urgent need for vaccines and therapeutics to reduce the burden of COVID-19. Several vaccines, including mRNA, vector-based vaccines, and inactivated vaccines, have been approved for emergency...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.663586/full |
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| author | Zena Wehbe Maya Wehbe Rabah Iratni Gianfranco Pintus Gianfranco Pintus Hassan Zaraket Hassan Zaraket Hadi M. Yassine Ali H. Eid Ali H. Eid |
| author_facet | Zena Wehbe Maya Wehbe Rabah Iratni Gianfranco Pintus Gianfranco Pintus Hassan Zaraket Hassan Zaraket Hadi M. Yassine Ali H. Eid Ali H. Eid |
| author_sort | Zena Wehbe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As of January 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has killed over 2 million individuals across the world. As such, there is an urgent need for vaccines and therapeutics to reduce the burden of COVID-19. Several vaccines, including mRNA, vector-based vaccines, and inactivated vaccines, have been approved for emergency use in various countries. However, the slow roll-out of vaccines and insufficient global supply remains a challenge to turn the tide of the pandemic. Moreover, vaccines are important tools for preventing the disease but therapeutic tools to treat patients are also needed. As such, since the beginning of the pandemic, repurposed FDA-approved drugs have been sought as potential therapeutic options for COVID-19 due to their known safety profiles and potential anti-viral effects. One of these drugs is ivermectin (IVM), an antiparasitic drug created in the 1970s. IVM later exerted antiviral activity against various viruses including SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we delineate the story of how this antiparasitic drug was eventually identified as a potential treatment option for COVID-19. We review SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle, the role of the nucleocapsid protein, the turning points in past research that provided initial ‘hints’ for IVM’s antiviral activity and its molecular mechanism of action- and finally, we culminate with the current clinical findings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T04:00:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-68e8c4964fc24cf898f3473609beaabd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T04:00:53Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-68e8c4964fc24cf898f3473609beaabd2022-12-21T19:54:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242021-03-011210.3389/fimmu.2021.663586663586Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic PossibilitiesZena Wehbe0Maya Wehbe1Rabah Iratni2Gianfranco Pintus3Gianfranco Pintus4Hassan Zaraket5Hassan Zaraket6Hadi M. Yassine7Ali H. Eid8Ali H. Eid9Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Internal Medicine, Basingstoke & North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke, United KingdomDepartment of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, and Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Experimental Pathology, Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonCenter for Infectious Disease Research (CIDR), Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, LebanonBiomedical Research Center, Q.U. Health, Qatar University, Doha, QatarDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Q.U. Health. Qatar University, Doha, Qatar0Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Q.U. Health, Qatar University, Doha, QatarAs of January 2021, SARS-CoV-2 has killed over 2 million individuals across the world. As such, there is an urgent need for vaccines and therapeutics to reduce the burden of COVID-19. Several vaccines, including mRNA, vector-based vaccines, and inactivated vaccines, have been approved for emergency use in various countries. However, the slow roll-out of vaccines and insufficient global supply remains a challenge to turn the tide of the pandemic. Moreover, vaccines are important tools for preventing the disease but therapeutic tools to treat patients are also needed. As such, since the beginning of the pandemic, repurposed FDA-approved drugs have been sought as potential therapeutic options for COVID-19 due to their known safety profiles and potential anti-viral effects. One of these drugs is ivermectin (IVM), an antiparasitic drug created in the 1970s. IVM later exerted antiviral activity against various viruses including SARS-CoV-2. In this review, we delineate the story of how this antiparasitic drug was eventually identified as a potential treatment option for COVID-19. We review SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle, the role of the nucleocapsid protein, the turning points in past research that provided initial ‘hints’ for IVM’s antiviral activity and its molecular mechanism of action- and finally, we culminate with the current clinical findings.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.663586/fullCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2ivermectincoronavirusmechanism of action |
| spellingShingle | Zena Wehbe Maya Wehbe Rabah Iratni Gianfranco Pintus Gianfranco Pintus Hassan Zaraket Hassan Zaraket Hadi M. Yassine Ali H. Eid Ali H. Eid Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Possibilities Frontiers in Immunology COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 ivermectin coronavirus mechanism of action |
| title | Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Possibilities |
| title_full | Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Possibilities |
| title_fullStr | Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Possibilities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Possibilities |
| title_short | Repurposing Ivermectin for COVID-19: Molecular Aspects and Therapeutic Possibilities |
| title_sort | repurposing ivermectin for covid 19 molecular aspects and therapeutic possibilities |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 ivermectin coronavirus mechanism of action |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.663586/full |
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