Host transcriptome-guided drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment: a meta-analysis based approach

Abstract

The upregulated pro-viral factors such as <i>TYMP</i>, <i>PTGS2</i>, <i>C1S</i>, <i>CFB</i>, <i>IFI44</i>, <i>XAF1</i>, <i>CXCL2</i>, and <i>CXCL3</i> were identified in early infection models of SARS-CoV-2. By further analysis of the drug-perturbed expression profiles in the connectivity map, 27 drugs that can reverse the expression of pro-viral factors were identified, and importantly, twelve of them reported to have anti-viral activity. The direct inhibition of the <i>PTGS2</i> gene product can be considered as another therapeutic strategy for SARS-CoV-2 infection and could suggest six approved PTGS2 inhibitor drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. The computational study could propose candidate repurposable drugs against COVID-19, and further experimental studies are required for validation.