nCOVID-19 Pandemic: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Potential Investigational Therapeutics

Md. Tanvir Kabir (1) , Md. Sahab Uddin (2, 3) , Md. Farhad Hossain (3, 4) , Jawaher A. Abdulhakim (5) , Md. Asraful Alam (6) , Ghulam Md Ashraf (7, 8) , Simona G. Bungau (9) , May N. Bin-Jumah (10) , Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim (11, 12) , Lotfi Aleya (13)

1 Department of Pharmacy, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2 Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
3 Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka, Bangladesh
4 Department of Physical Therapy, Graduate School of Inje University, Gimhae, South Korea
5 Department of Medical Laboratory, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
6 School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
7 King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
8 Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
9 University of Oradea
10 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11474, Saudi Arabia
11 KSU - King Saud University [Riyadh]
12 Suez Canal University
13 LCE - Laboratoire Chrono-environnement (UMR 6249)

In December 2019, a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-related epidemic was first observed in Wuhan, China. In 2020, owing to the highly infectious and deadly nature of the virus, this widespread novel coronavirus disease 2019 (nCOVID-19) became a worldwide pandemic. Studies have revealed that various environmental factors including temperature, humidity, and air pollution may also affect the transmission pattern of COVID-19. Unfortunately, still, there is no specific drug that has been validated in large-scale studies to treat patients with confirmed nCOVID-19. However, remdesivir, an inhibitor of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), has appeared as an auspicious antiviral drug. Currently, a large-scale study on remdesivir (i.e., 200 mg on first day, then 100 mg once/day) is ongoing to evaluate its clinical efficacy to treat nCOVID-19. Good antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 was not observed with the use of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r). Nonetheless, the combination of umifenovir and LPV/r was found to have better antiviral activity. Furthermore, a combination of hydroxychloroquine (i.e., 200 mg 3 times/day) and azithromycin (i.e., 500 mg on first day, then 250 mg/day from day 2–5) also exhibited good activity. Currently, there are also ongoing studies to evaluate the efficacy of teicoplanin and monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, in this article, we have analyzed the genetic diversity and molecular pathogenesis of nCOVID-19. We also present possible therapeutic options for nCOVID-19 patients.

Mots clés: SARS-CoV-2; nCOVID-19; RdRp inhibitors; remdesivir; favipiravir; immunomodulators; corticosteroids; eculizumab

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement

Md. Tanvir Kabir, Md. Sahab Uddin, Md. Farhad Hossain, Jawaher A. Abdulhakim, Md. Asraful Alam, et al.. nCOVID-19 Pandemic: From Molecular Pathogenesis to Potential Investigational Therapeutics. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2020, 8, ⟨10.3389/fcell.2020.00616⟩. ⟨hal-02898074⟩