| Title | Raloxifene as a treatment option for viral infections |
|---|---|
| Author | Subin Hong1, JuOae Chang1, Kwiwan Jeong2*, and Wonsik Lee1* |
| Address | 1School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea, 2Bio-center, Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator, Suwon 16229, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 59(2),124–131, 2021, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-021-0617-7 |
| Key Words | raloxifene, drug repositioning, COVID-19, SARSCoV- 2, SERM, estrogen receptor |
| Abstract | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV- 2) has caused corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and led to mass casualty. Even though much effort has been put into development of vaccine and treatment methods to combat COVID-19, no safe and efficient cure has been discovered. Drug repurposing or drug repositioning which is a process of investigating pre-existing drug candidates for novel applications outside their original medical indication can speed up the drug development process. Raloxifene is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that has been approved by FDA in 1997 for treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis and cancer. Recently, raloxifene demonstrates efficacy in treating viral infections by Ebola, influenza A, and hepatitis C viruses and shows potential for drug repurposing for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review will provide an overview of raloxifene’s mechanism of action as a SERM and present proposed mechanisms of action in treatment of viral infections. |