Repurposing calcium channel blockers as antiviral drugs
Vijayashree Priyadharsini Jayaseelan, Paramasivam Arumugam
Abstract
The current pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 has claimed over a half a million lives within a very short span of time. A therapeutic drug which could prevent the entry and propagation of the virus is the need of the hour. Several lines of evidence collected from experimental studies older than three decades have pointed out the fact that inhibiting calcium entry into cells can affect vital steps in the lifecycle of viruses. Hence, calcium channel blockers may be considered as an effective measure in the containment of the viruses. This commentary throws light two scientific papers although with divergent facts converging at a point by suggesting a promising treatment option for CoVID-19 (Fang et al. Lancet Respir Med 8:e21, 2020; Straus et al. J Virol 94:e00426, 2020).