Drug repurposing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: Could these drugs help fight COVID-19 and save lives?
J Clin Neurosci
; 88: 163-172, 2021 Jun.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1142062
ABSTRACT
The current 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an emerging infectious disease, is undoubtedly the most challenging pandemic in the 21st century. A total of 92,977,768 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,991,289 deaths were reported globally up to January 14, 2021. COVID-19 also affects people's mental health and quality of life. At present, there is no effective therapeutic strategy for the management of this disease. Therefore, in the absence of a specific vaccine or curative treatment, it is an urgent need to identify safe, effective and globally available drugs for reducing COVID-19 morbidity and fatalities. In this review, we focus on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs a class of antidepressant drugs with widespread availability and an optimal tolerability profile) that can potentially be repurposed for COVID-19 and are currently being tested in clinical trials. We also summarize the existing literature on what is known about the link between serotonin (5-HT) and the immune system. From the evidence reviewed here, we propose fluoxetine as an adjuvant therapeutic agent for COVID-19 based on its known immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Fluoxetine may potentially reduce pro-inflammatory chemokine/cytokines levels (such as CCL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α) in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, fluoxetine may help to attenuate neurological complications of COVID-19.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
/
Drug Repositioning
/
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
/
Vaccines
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
J Clin Neurosci
Journal subject:
Neurology
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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