COVID-19 and fibrosis: Mechanisms, clinical relevance, and future perspectives

Mohd Aslam Saifi; Sapana Bansod; Chandraiah Godugu

doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103345

COVID-19 and fibrosis: Mechanisms, clinical relevance, and future perspectives

Drug Discov Today. 2022 Nov;27(11):103345. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103345. Epub 2022 Sep 6.

Authors

Mohd Aslam Saifi¹, Sapana Bansod², Chandraiah Godugu³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biological Sciences (Regulatory Toxicology), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Balanagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500 037, India.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Oncology Division, Washington University, School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
³ Department of Biological Sciences (Regulatory Toxicology), National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Balanagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500 037, India. Electronic address: chandragodugu@gmail.com.

Abstract

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has had significant impacts worldwide since its emergence in December, 2019. Despite a high recovery rate, there is a growing concern over its residual, long-term effects. However, because of a lack of long-term data, we are still far from establishing a consensus on post-COVID-19 complications. The deposition of excessive extracellular matrix (ECM), known as fibrosis, has been observed in numerous survivors of COVID-19. Given the exceptionally high number of individuals affected, there is an urgent need to address the emergence of fibrosis post-COVID-19. In this review, we discuss the clinical relevance of COVID-19-associated fibrosis, the current status of antifibrotic agents, novel antifibrotic targets, and challenges to its management.

Keywords: Antifibrotic agents; COVID-19; Extracellular matrix; Fibrosis; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Clinical Relevance
Fibrosis
Humans
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus*
SARS-CoV-2