Is Inhaled Furosemide a Potential Therapeutic for COVID-19?

Area of Science:

• * Virology and Immunology
• * Drug Repurposing and Therapeutics

Background:

• * Severe Acute Respiratory Disease Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection triggers a dangerous inflammatory response, known as a cytokine storm.
• * This storm involves excessive secretion of cytokines like IL-6 and TNFα, leading to severe lung damage and potentially death.
• * Developing new vaccines is time-consuming, necessitating immediate therapeutic solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To evaluate the potential of repurposed drugs as immediate treatments for the SARS-CoV-2 cytokine storm.
• * To investigate inhaled furosemide as a therapeutic agent against cytokine storm-induced pulmonary damage.

Main Methods:

• * Review of existing literature on SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and inflammatory responses.
• * Analysis of furosemide's properties as an inhibitor of IL-6 and TNFα.
• * Assessment of furosemide's suitability for repurposing, considering safety, synthesis, and global availability.

Main Results:

• * Furosemide demonstrates the capacity to inhibit key inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNFα) implicated in the cytokine storm.
• * Inhaled administration offers a direct route to target pulmonary inflammation.
• * Furosemide is a safe, easily synthesized, handled, and stored small molecule, readily available worldwide.

Conclusions:

• * Inhaled furosemide presents a promising, readily accessible therapeutic strategy for managing the cytokine storm in Coronavirus Disease 2019.
• * Drug repurposing, specifically with furosemide, offers a viable approach to address the urgent need for effective treatments.
• * This strategy is applicable in both resource-rich and developing nations due to the drug's availability and ease of use.