Citicoline and COVID-19: vis-à-vis conjectured

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a current pandemic disease caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus virus respiratory type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 infection is linked with various neurological manifestations due to cytokine-induced disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB), neuroinflammation, and peripheral neuronal injury, or due to direct SARS-CoV-2 neurotropism. Of note, many repurposed agents were included in different therapeutic protocols in the management of COVID-19. These agents did not produce an effective therapeutic eradication of SARS-CoV-2, and continuing searching for novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents is a type of challenge nowadays. Therefore, this study aimed to review the potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of citicoline in the management of COVID-19.