Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors as potential therapeutic agents for COVID-19: A review

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a global pandemic.
• Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors are established cancer drugs being explored for COVID-19 treatment.
• BTK plays a crucial role in regulating immune cell activation and inflammatory responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize existing evidence on the efficacy of BTK inhibitors against COVID-19.
• To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting BTK in managing severe COVID-19 and associated lung injury.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across major scientific databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science, Medline, Google Scholar, PubMed, Elsevier).
• Inclusion of both experimental and clinical studies investigating BTK inhibitors and their effects on COVID-19.
• Analysis of findings related to BTK's role in inflammation and its modulation by inhibitors.

Main Results:

• Experimental and clinical data suggest BTK inhibition can ameliorate lung injury in severe COVID-19 patients.
• BTK inhibitors like ibrutinib and acalabrutinib have demonstrated protective effects in small patient cohorts.
• Targeting excessive host inflammation via BTK inhibition appears to be a viable therapeutic approach.

Conclusions:

• BTK inhibitors represent a potential therapeutic strategy for managing severe COVID-19.
• These small molecule inhibitors may play a key role in controlling pro-inflammatory pathways relevant to COVID-19 pathogenesis.
• Further research into BTK inhibitors could lead to novel treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infection.