Tetracyclines: Antibiotics of potential use in covid-19?

Abstract

Tetracyclines have been used to treat many bacterial infections. The use of these antibiotics for the treatment of viral diseases dates back to the 1960s and 1970s. Subsequent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of tetracyclines as an antiviral drug in experimental models and in vitro studies. Tetracyclines can act on viral infections by several mechanisms including the ability to inhibit metalloproteinases, anti-inflammatory effects, inhibition of the NF-kB pathway, anti-apoptotic and antioxidant effects, inhibition of protein synthesis, and inhibition of viral structural proteins, proteases and RNA, among other properties. Thus, tetracyclines represent a potential drug against THE SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite the potential of tetracyclines as antiviral drugs, further clinical studies are required. It is important to develop antiviral treatments for COVID-19 that can be administered at an early stage of infection, to prevent organ damage caused by the virus and to allow the patient to produce a strong immune response against the virus. This review focuses on the clinical and experimental data supporting the use of tetracycline in the treatment of viral infections and highlights an important approach to decrease disease progression during viral infection. Tetracycline treatment could represent a strategy to eliminate infection or inhibit progression of COVID-19.