Author(s) :
Cosmin Andrei Cismaru 1, Gabriel Laurentiu Cismaru 2, Claudia Burz 3,4, Andreea Nuțu 1, Ioana Berindan Neagoe 1, 5
1 Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
2 5th Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology-Rehabilitation, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
3 Department of Medical Oncology “Ion Chiricuță” Oncology Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
4 Immunology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine,”Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
5 2nd Department of Functional Sciences, Immunology and Allergy, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Corresponding author: Andrei Cosmin Cismaru, Email: cismaru_andrei@yahoo.com
Published: Journal of Medical and Radiation Oncology 1 (2021) 131-138, , , - DOI: 10.53011/JMRO.2021.01.12
Abstract
COVID-19 has become a serious healthcare problem, causing more than 2 million fatalities worldwide. Several treatments used for the management of chronic diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis were shown to increase the expression of the receptor exploited by the virus, the ACE2, in vitro. These raise concerns on the safety of continuing such drugs or switching to other classes that don’t interfere with the receptor exploited by SARS-CoV2. Here we emphasize the mechanisms behind the regulation of ACE2 expression by several widely used drugs with possible interactions with COVID-19. Moreover, we discuss how the physiological mechanisms of attenuating inflammation and fibrosis can lead to increased expression of the receptor exploited by the virus and how this expression is further influenced be statins, propionate derivative NSAIDs, and RAS blockers.