Medicine in drug discovery
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Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the major causes of mortality associated with COVID-19 disease. Many patients will require intensive care with ventilatory support. Despite progress and best efforts, the mortality rates projected remain high. ⋯ TRPV1 expressing cells are responsible for pain transmission, inflammation and immunomodulation throughout the entire pulmonary system and are modulating the processes associated with localized cytokine release (storm) and overall rapid disease progression. We suggest that therapeutic approaches targeting TRPV1 containing nerve fibers in the lungs will modulate the inflammatory and immune signal activity, leading to reduced mortality and better overall outcomes. We also propose to further explore the use of resiniferatoxin (RTX), an ultra-potent TRPV1 agonist currently in clinical trials for cancer and osteoarthritis pain, as a possible ablating agent of TRPV1 positive pulmonary pathways in patients with advanced COVID-19 disease.
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The COVID-19 pandemic, after it was reported in December 2019, is a highly contagious and now spreading to over 190 countries, causing a severe public health burden. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific drug to treat COVID-19, which is caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-2-CoV. ⋯ However, even after this pandemic, COVID-19 may still have a chance to come back. Therefore, we need to come out with new strategies for drug discovery for combating COVID-19 in the future.