Evaluation of the Efficacy of Nicotine Patches in SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) Infection in Intensive Care Unit Patients
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2021-06-20
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
There is currently no known treatment for COVID19. Active smokers are infrequent among
patients with COVID-19 which has led our team to hypothesize that nicotine is responsible for
this protective effect via the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). In fact, nAChR
possess the ability to modulate ACE2 expression, the cellular doorway for SARS-CoV2. nAChR
modulation by the virus would be responsible for the numerous clinical signs observed in
COVID-19, including the cytokine storm manifested in intensive care hyperinflammatory
patients.
Based on epidemiological data and experimental data from scientific literature, our team
hypothesize that nicotine could inhibit the penetration and propagation of SARS-CoV2. Our
team also claim that nicotine could attenuate the hyperinflammatory response and cytokine
storm leading to acute respiratory failure and a probable multi-organ failure associated with
COVID19.