European heart journal. Cardiovascular pharmacotherapy
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Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother · Sep 2020
ReviewThe mechanistic overview of SARS-CoV-2 using angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 to enter the cell for replication: possible treatment options related to the renin-angiotensin system.
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a healthcare crisis caused by insufficient knowledge applicable to effectively combat the virus. Therefore, different scientific discovery strategies need to be connected, to generate a rational treatment which can be made available as rapidly as possible. This relies on a solid theoretical understanding of the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and host responses, which is coupled to the practical experience of clinicians that are treating patients. ⋯ AT1R antagonists counterbalance the negative consequences of angiotesnin II and, in addition, they might even be involved in preventing the cellular uptake of the virus without interfering with ACE2 function. AT1R antagonists are widely available, cheap, and safe. Therefore, we propose to consider using AT1R antagonists in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2.