Auranofin: Dual Defender Against COVID-19 – Blocking the Virus and Easing Inflammation
The article discusses how the FDA-approved drug Auranofin can help fight COVID-19. Researchers found that Auranofin has a dual effect: it blocks the virus from entering cells and reduces inflammation. Auranofin prevents the virus from using a specific pathway to enter cells and increases the mobility of the ACE2 receptor, which the virus uses to attach to cells. This makes it harder for the virus to infect the cells. Additionally, Auranofin inhibits the NF-kB pathway, which is involved in the body’s inflammatory response, helping to reduce severe inflammation caused by COVID-19.
Overall, Auranofin shows promise as a repurposed drug for treating COVID-19 by both preventing viral entry and reducing inflammation, offering new therapeutic opportunities.
