Repurposing tetracyclines for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and severe COVID-19: a critical discussion of recent publications

Jose Garrido-Mesa, Kate Adams, Julio Galvez, Natividad Garrido-Mesa

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
22 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Introduction: Drug repurposing can be a successful approach to deal with the scarcity of cost-effective therapies in situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Tetracyclines have previously shown efficacy in preclinical acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) models and initial predictions and experimental reports suggest a direct antiviral activity against SARS-CoV2. Furthermore, a few clinical reports indicate their potential in COVID-19 patients. In addition to the scarcity and limitations of the scientific evidence, the effectiveness of tetracyclines in experimental ARDS has been proven extensively, counteracting the overt inflammatory reaction and fibrosis sequelae due to a synergic combination of pharmacological activities. Areas covered: This paper discusses the scientific evidence behind the application of tetracyclines for ARDS/COVID-19. Expert Opinion: The benefits of their multi-target pharmacology and their safety profile overcome the limitations, such as antibiotic activity and low commercial interest. Immunomodulatory tetracyclines and novel chemically modified non-antibiotic tetracyclines have therapeutic potential. Further drug repurposing studies in ARDS and severe COVID-19 are necessary.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)475-482
Number of pages8
JournalExpert opinion on investigational drugs
Volume31
Issue number5
Early online date23 Mar 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

Keywords

  • Tetracyclines
  • immunomodulatory
  • ARDS
  • acute respiratory distress syndrome
  • incyclinide
  • minocycline
  • COVID-19
  • repurposing
  • doxycycline

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