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Riccardi G, Niccolini GF, Bellizzi MG, Fiore M, Minni A, Barbato C. Post-COVID-19 Anosmia and Therapies: Stay Tuned for New Drugs to Sniff Out. Diseases 2023; 11:79. [PMID: 37366867 DOI: 10.3390/diseases11020079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Anosmia is defined as the complete absence of olfactory function, which can be caused by a variety of causes, with upper respiratory tract infections being among the most frequent causes. Anosmia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection has attracted attention given its main role in symptomatology and the social impact of the pandemic. Methods: We conducted systematic research in a clinicaltrials.gov database to evaluate all active clinical trials worldwide regarding drug therapies in adult patients for anosmia following SARS-CoV-2 infection with the intention of identifying the nearby prospects to treat Anosmia. We use the following search terms: "Anosmia" AND "COVID-19" OR "SARS-CoV-2" OR "2019 novel coronavirus". Results: We found 18 active clinical trials that met our criteria: one phase 1, one phase 1-2, five phases 2, two phases 2-3, three phases 3, and six phases 4 studies were identified. The drug therapies that appear more effective and promising are PEA-LUT and Cerebrolysin. The other interesting drugs are 13-cis-retinoic acid plus aerosolized Vitamin D, dexamethasone, and corticosteroid nasal irrigation. Conclusions: COVID-19 has allowed us to highlight how much anosmia is an important and debilitating symptom for patients and, above all, to direct research to find a therapy aimed at curing the symptom, whether it derives from SARS-CoV-2 infection or other infections of the upper airways. Some of these therapies are very promising and are almost at the end of experimentation. They also provide hope in this field, which not addressed until recently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Riccardi
- Department of Sense Organs (DOS), Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | | | - Mario Giuseppe Bellizzi
- Department of Sense Organs (DOS), Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Fiore
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Unit of Translational Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Sense Organs (DOS), Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Minni
- Department of Sense Organs (DOS), Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Roma, Italy
- Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ospedale San Camillo de Lellis, ASL Rieti-Sapienza University, Viale Kennedy, 02100 Rieti, Italy
| | - Christian Barbato
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Unit of Translational Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Sense Organs (DOS), Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Roma, Italy
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Chien TJ, Liu CY, Chang YI, Fang CJ, Pai JH, Wu YX, Chen SW. Therapeutic effects of herbal-medicine combined therapy for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:950012. [PMID: 36120361 PMCID: PMC9475194 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.950012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background/Aim: Since 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a devastating disease affecting global health to a great extent. Some countries have added on herbal medicines as a complementary treatment for combating COVID-19 due to the urgency of stopping the spread of this viral disease. However, whether these herbal medicines are effective is uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of herbal medicine combined therapy in the treatment of COVID-19. Methods: A literature search was performed following the PRISMA Statement and without language restrictions. Seven databases were searched from inception through December 2021. All selected studies were randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Comparing the effects of herbal medicine combined therapy with conventional western medicine, including improvement of clinical symptoms, chest CT images, viral conversion rate, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6. Cochrane criteria were applied to examine the methodological quality of the enrolled trials; and meta-analysis software (RevMan 5.4.1) was used for data analysis. Results: In total, the data of 5,417 participants from 40 trials were included in this systematic review; and 28 trials were qualified for meta-analysis. The trials had medium-to-high quality based on GRADE system. Meta-analysis showed that combining herbal medicine vs conventional treatment in 1) coughing (1.43 95% CI:1.21, 1.71, p = 0.0001), 2) fever (1.09 95% CI:1.00, 1.19, p = 0.06), 3) fatigue (1.21 95% CI:1.10, 1.33, p = 0.0001); 4) CT images (1.26 95% CI:1.19, 1.34, P ≤ 0.00001), 5) viral conversion rates (1.22 95% CI:1.06, 1.40, p = 0.005) and 6) viral conversion times (-3.72 95% CI: -6.05, -1.40, p = 0.002), 7) IL6 change (1.97 95% CI: -0.72, 4.66, p = 0.15) and 8) CRP change (-7.92 95% CI: -11.30, -4.53, P ≤ 0.00001). Conclusion: Herbal medicine combined therapy significantly reduces COVID-19 clinical symptoms, improving CT images and viral conversion rates. Reported adverse events are mild. However, for certain biases in the included studies, and the need for further study on effective components of herbal medicine. Further large trials with better randomized design are warranted to definite a more definite role of herbal medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsai-Ju Chien
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Branch of Zhong-Zhou, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan,Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan,*Correspondence: Tsai-Ju Chien,
| | - Chia-Yu Liu
- Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-I Chang
- Department and Institute of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ju Fang
- Medical Library, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan,Department of Secretariat, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Juo-Hsiang Pai
- Division of Hemato-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Branch of Zhong-Zhou, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Xuan Wu
- Department and Institute of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shuoh-Wen Chen
- Department and Institute of Physiology, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
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