Do Anti-Androgens Have Potential as Therapeutics for COVID-19?

The document discussed the potential of anti-androgens as therapeutics for COVID-19, focusing on the observed gender disparity in disease severity, with men experiencing higher rates of hospitalization and mortality. It was hypothesized that androgen-dependent expression of TMPRSS2 in the lungs might increase men's susceptibility to severe COVID-19, suggesting that suppressing androgen production or action could reduce the severity of the disease by limiting SARS-CoV-2 amplification. Several clinical trials were underway to test the efficacy of androgen deprivation therapies or anti-androgens in mitigating COVID-19. The document also reviewed clinical and molecular advances related to androgen receptor action on TMPRSS2 expression and SARS-CoV-2 infection, while discussing the limitations of existing studies and proposing future research directions.