Use of Antiandrogens as Therapeutic Agents in COVID-19 Patients

The document discusses the potential use of antiandrogens as therapeutic agents in COVID-19 patients. It highlights that men are more likely to get infected by the virus, develop severe disease, and have higher hospitalization and mortality rates compared to women, suggesting a link between SARS-CoV-2 infectiveness and disease severity with sex steroid hormones, particularly androgens. The androgen-mediated regulation of the host protease TMPRSS2 and the cell entry protein ACE2, which play a key role in the entry of the virus into target cells, is emphasized. Modulating androgen signaling is proposed as a promising strategy to block viral infection, and antiandrogens could be used as a preventative measure at the pre- or early-hospitalization stage of COVID-19 disease. Various antiandrogens, including commercial drugs used to treat metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer and other conditions, have been tested as antivirals with varying degrees of success.