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Rapamycin: Drug Repurposing in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Jiri Patocka1,2, Kamil Kuca2,3, Patrik Oleksak3
1Institute of Radiology, Toxicology and Civil Protection, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 3, 2021
Summary
Rapamycin shows promise as a repurposed drug for treating COVID-19, potentially offering better efficacy than current antivirals. Its effectiveness may not be impacted by viral mutations, making it a strong candidate for further research.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has had severe global health and economic impacts.
- Current treatments like Remdesivir and vaccines have uncertain effectiveness.
- Drug repurposing is a viable strategy for identifying novel therapeutic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on rapamycin's association with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- To evaluate rapamycin as a potential repurposed drug for COVID-19 therapy.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature review was conducted.
- Searched major scientific databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Springer, Scopus).
- Included only peer-reviewed, English-written articles; five studies were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Rapamycin emerged as a suitable candidate for drug repurposing in COVID-19 treatment.
- It may be a more effective therapeutic option compared to commonly used antivirals.
- Rapamycin's efficacy is unlikely to be diminished by SARS-CoV-2's high mutation rate.
Conclusions:
- Rapamycin presents a promising therapeutic avenue for COVID-19.
- Further investigation into rapamycin for COVID-19 treatment is warranted.
- Its potential to overcome viral resistance mechanisms makes it a valuable candidate.
