The Potential Role of Lithium as an Antiviral Agent against SARS-CoV-2 via Membrane Depolarization: Review and Hypothesis

Studies on potential treatments of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are important to improve the global situation in face pandemic. This review proposes lithium as a drug treat COVID-19. Our hypothesis states that can suppress NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activity, inhibit cell death, and exhibit immunomodulation via membrane depolarization. was formulated after finding consistent correlations between these actions depolarization induced by lithium. Eventually, could serve mitigate NLRP3-mediated cytokine storm, which is allegedly reported be inciting event series retrogressive events associated with mortality from It also death modulate immune system attenuate its release, clear virus body, interrupt cycle immune-system dysregulation. Therefore, effects presumed morbidity COVID-19 patients. As numbers cases deaths continue rise exponentially without consensus therapeutic agents, urgent conduction preclinical clinical studies prove efficacy safety reasonable.