Cyclosporine A Inhibits Viral Infection and Release as Well as Cytokine Production in Lung Cells by Three SARS-CoV-2 Variants

• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01504-21
• Publication Date: 2022-01-05T15:30:57Z
• Authors: Claudio Fenizia; Silvia Galbiati; Claudia Vanetti; Riccardo Vago; Mario Clerici; Carlo Tacchetti; Tiziana Daniele
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Microbiology; Antiviral Agents; P.1; 03 medical and health sciences; cytokine; Humans; B.1.1.7; Lung; Virus Release; variants; repositioning; interleukin; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; CsA; infection; QR1-502; 3. Good health; Cyclosporine; Cytokines; Cytokine Release Syndrome; cyclophilin A; cyclosporine A; Research Article

SARS-CoV-2 is the most recently identified member of the betacoronavirus genus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Repurposing of available drugs has been a “quick and dirty” approach to try to reduce mortality and severe symptoms in affected patients initially, and can still represent an undeniable and valuable approach to face COVID-19 as the continuous appearance and rapid diffusion of more “aggressive”/transmissible variants, capable of eluding antibody neutralization, challenges the effectiveness of some anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.