The Bis(1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline) Alkaloids Cepharanthine And Berbamine Are Ligands Of SK Channels

This review discusses the historical development, mechanisms of action, and potential new clinical applications of the drug cepharanthine, highlighting its multi-faceted pharmacological properties; it reports no new clinical results.

The researchers reviewed cepharanthine, a long-used bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, for its antiviral properties, including significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2. They discussed cepharanthine's other pharmacological actions, highlighted plasma membrane fluidity as a key antiviral mechanism, and examined its safety, bioavailability, and potential for new clinical applications.

This study found that bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids from Stephania cepharantha Hayata stimulated growth in cultured murine hair cells but not in keratinocytes or fibroblasts.

In this study, molecular docking simulations and cell-based assays suggested that certain analogues of cepharanthine might possess anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity.

This study found that SK2 channels in sensory terminals of rat muscle spindles and hair follicles may play a crucial role in modulating mechanosensory transduction by influencing receptor potentials through Ca2+-activated K+ currents.