Repurposing of thalidomide and its derivatives for the treatment of
SARS-coV-2 infections: Hints on molecular action
Abstract
Background and Purpose: SARS-coV-2 pandemic continues to cause an
unprecedented global destabilization. There is an urgent need to develop
vaccines or identify molecules to treat severe cases and repurposing of
drugs is the best approach at this hour. Thalidomide, despite having an
infamous history has been successfully repurposed and tested for various
disease conditions including inflammatory diseases and tumor. Few
reports emphasize the use of thalidomide with a SARS-coV-2 pneumonia
patient being successfully treated with thalidomide. Experimental
Approach: A meta-analysis comparing the transcriptomes of SARS-coV-2
infected tissues with thalidomide and lenalidomide-induced
transcriptomic changes in transformed lung, endothelial and
hematopoietic models was performed. Key Results: Thalidomide and
lenalidomide exhibited pleiotropic effects affecting a range of
biological processes including inflammation, immune response,
angiogenesis, MAPK signaling, NOD-like receptor signaling, TLR
signaling, leukocyte differentiation and innate immunity, the processes
which are aberrantly regulated in severe COVID-19 patients. In addition,
we show the similarities between the expression profiles of SARS-coV-2
infected lung and systemic lupus erythematous. Conclusion and
Implications: The present study recommends thalidomide analogs as a
“better fit” to treat severe cases of novel viral infections, healing
the damaged network by compensating the impairment caused by the
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).