Frontiers in pharmacology
-
Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
ReviewCOVID-19 Outbreak: Pathogenesis, Current Therapies, and Potentials for Future Management.
At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus (CoV) was found at the seafood market of Hubei province in Wuhan, China, and this virus was officially named coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) by World Health Organization (WHO). COVID-19 is mainly characterized by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV2) and creates public health concerns as well as significant threats to the economy around the world. ⋯ In this review, we try to find out the etiology, epidemiology, symptoms as well as transmissions of this novel virus. We also summarize therapeutic interventions and suggest antiviral treatments, immune-enhancing candidates, general supplements, and CoV specific treatments that control replication and reproduction of SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
-
Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
ReviewMolecular Insights Into SARS COV-2 Interaction With Cardiovascular Disease: Role of RAAS and MAPK Signaling.
In December 2019, reports of viral pneumonia came out of Wuhan city in Hubei province in China. In early 2020, the causative agent was identified as a novel coronavirus (CoV) sharing some sequence similarity with SARS-CoV that caused the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2002. The new virus, named SARS-CoV-2, is highly contagious and spread rapidly across the globe causing a pandemic of what became known as coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). ⋯ Here, we offer an overview of the proposed molecular pathways shared by the pathogenesis of CVD and SARS-CoV infections in order to provide a mechanistic framework for the observed interrelation. We examine the crosstalk between the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and mitogen activated kinase pathways that potentially links cardiovascular predisposition and/or outcome to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Finally, we summarize the possible effect of currently available drugs with known cardiovascular benefit on these pathways and speculate on their potential utility in mitigating cardiovascular risk and morbidity in COVID-19 patients.
-
Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
ReviewPimavanserin: A Novel Antipsychotic With Potentials to Address an Unmet Need of Older Adults With Dementia-Related Psychosis.
Dementia affects more than 40 million people worldwide. When it is accompanied by psychosis, symptom management is especially challenging. Although no drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for psychosis in patients with dementia, atypical antipsychotics are used off-label in severe cases in patients who do not respond to non-pharmacological interventions. ⋯ Topline result of the pivotal phase III HARMONY (NCT03325556) trial suggests that pimavanserin reduces the relapse of psychosis by 2.8-folds compared to placebo. This favorable result may open path for the potential approval of pimavanserin in DRP. In this review, we discuss the pharmacological activity, clinical efficacy and safety of pimavanserin as a novel atypical antipsychotic with potentials to address the unmet needs of older adults with DRP.
-
Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
ReviewPathophysiology and Potential Therapeutic Candidates for COVID-19: A Poorly Understood Arena.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an acute onset pneumonia caused by a novel Betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in the Wuhan City of China in December 2019 and evolved into a global pandemic. To date, there are no proven drugs or vaccines against this virus. Hence, the situation demands an urgent need to explore all potential therapeutic strategies that can be made available to prevent the disease progression and improve patient outcomes. ⋯ Moreover, there is a need to clearly define the patient populations who warrant therapy and also the timing of initiation of treatment. Understanding the disease pathology responsible for the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 is imperative to identify the potential targets for drug development. This review explains the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and summarizes the potential treatment candidates, which can provide guidance in developing effective therapeutic strategies.
-
Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2020
Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Herbal Injections Combined With Cyclophosphamide and 5-Fluorouracil Chemotherapies in Treatment of Breast Cancer: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.
Background: Given the limitations of chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer (BC) and the wide exploration of Chinese herbal injections (CHIs), this network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted to analyze the comparative efficacy and safety of nine CHIs combined with CF (Cyclophosphamide and 5-Fluorouracil) chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of BC. Methods: Several electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to January 6, 2020. RCTs were screened by pre-established eligibility criteria, and the quality of which was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. ⋯ According to the results of cluster analysis, Aidi injection and Compound Kushen injection plus CF were more favorable for the clinical effectiveness rate and performance status. Conclusion: In conclusion, Shenqi Fuzheng, Compound Kushen, Aidi, and Kangai injection combined with CF chemotherapy regimen have more significant effects for patients with BC. However, more high-quality clinical RCTs, especialy which correctly use blinding and allocation concealment, are required to support the conclusions.