Clinical trials have identified vitamin C (VC) as a potent compound pneumonia management; glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is an anti-inflammatory medicine against pneumonia-induced inflammatory stress.

A recent study published in Briefings in Bioinformatics aimed to determine pharmacological targets and molecular mechanisms of VC + GA treatment for COVID-19, using bio informational network pharmacology.

Here, optimal targets, biological processes and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways of VC + GA against COVID-19 were examined.

It was found that combinatorial VC and GA treatment for COVID-19 was associated with elevation of immunity and suppression of inflammatory stress, including activation of the T cell receptor signaling pathway, regulation of Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, ErbB signaling pathway and vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway. The results also identified 17 core targets of VC + GA, which suggest as antimicrobial function.Thus, this study uncovered the pharmacological mechanism underlying combined VC and GA treatment for COVID-19.

Source: Briefings in Bioinformatics. 2020 Jul 14. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbaa141