Hyderabad: As vaccine trials continue to show promise in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic, a review published by George Washington University (GW) in the US suggests Nitric Oxide, the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory molecule, can play a pivotal role in world's fight against novel coronavirus.
According to GW, Nitric Oxide plays an important role in maintaining normal vascular function and in regulating 'inflammatory cascades' that contribute to acute lung injury and respiratory distress.
Inflammatory Cascade represents a medical condition that induces a systemic inflammatory response for which the human immune system has not yet evolved a specific response.
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The team of doctors at GW reportedly reviewed data from between 1993 and 2020 on the pathogenesis of coronaviruses and the use of nitric oxide as a treatment for respiratory illness.
The GW doctors prefer inhaled nitric oxide which has contributed to better clinical outcomes since the start of the pandemic. The team, however, recommends that dosing and protocol variations should be examined before going ahead.
“With the emergence of COVID-19 as a pandemic with the ability to overwhelm the body and our health care infrastructure, patients have a pressing need for effective agents that can slow the disease in their bodies and in their communities,” Adam Friedman, MD co-senior author of the review said.
