Diacerein: A potential multi-target therapeutic drug for COVID-19

Medical Hypotheses
Pedro Gonçalves de OliveiraEnrique Boccardo

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), was declared pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 binds its host cell receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), through the viral spike (S) protein. The mortality related to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi-organ failure in COVID-19 patients has been suggested to be connected with cytokine storm syndrome (CSS), an excessive immune response that severely damages healthy lung tissue. In addition, cardiac symptoms, including fulminant myocarditis, are frequent in patients in a severe state of illness. Diacerein (DAR) is an anthraquinone derivative drug whose active metabolite is rhein. Different studies have shown that this compound inhibits the IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-18, TNF-α, NF-κB and NALP3 inflammasome pathways. The antiviral activity of rhein has also been documented. This metabolite prevents hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and influenza A virus (IAV) adsorption and replication through mechanisms involving regulation of oxidative stress and alterations of the TLR4, Akt, MAPK, and NF-κB signalling pathways. Importantly, rhein inhibits the...Continue Reading

Citations

Aug 14, 2020·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Karl Sirotkin, Dan Sirotkin
Mar 11, 2021·Journal of Medicinal Food·Vladimir BerezinPavel Alexyuk
Apr 1, 2021·Phytotherapy Research : PTR·Abhishek GourUtpal Nandi
Aug 27, 2021·Pharmacological Research : the Official Journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society·Xiao-Fei PengWen-Chu Ye
Sep 14, 2021·Histochemistry and Cell Biology·Salmo Azambuja de OliveiraEstela Sasso-Cerri

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
ELISA
PCR

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