Open Access<p>N-Acetylcysteine to Combat COVID-19: An Evidence Review</p>
Author(s) -
Zhongcheng Shi,
Carlos A. Puyo
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
therapeutics and clinical risk management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1178-203X
pISSN - 1176-6336
DOI - 10.2147/tcrm.s273700
Subject(s) - medicine , acetylcysteine , covid-19 , immune system , immunology , coronavirus , disease , intensive care medicine , virology , antioxidant , infectious disease (medical specialty) , biochemistry , chemistry , outbreak
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a virus (SARS-Cov-2) and is known for inducing multisystem organ dysfunction associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Current therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 have failed to effectively reduce mortality rate, especially for elderly patients. A newly developed vaccine against SARS-Cov-2 has been reported to induce the production of neutralizing antibodies in young volunteers. However, the vaccine has shown limited benefit in the elderly, suggesting an age-dependent immune response. As a result, exploring new applications of existing medications could potentially provide valuable treatments for COVID-19. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been used in clinical practice to treat critically ill septic patients, and more recently for COVID-19 patients. NAC has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating characteristics that may prove beneficial in the treatment and prevention of SARS-Cov-2. This review offers a thorough analysis of NAC and discusses its potential use for treatment of COVID-19.