Could vitamin C improve the therapeutic effect of integrated medicine for COVID-19?

Combined the therapy of Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and a high dose of vitamin C resulted in the most effective outcome for flight against COVID-19. It’s shortening the time of disease recovery, symptom disappearance, chest CT improvement, and tongue amelioration. Traditional Chinese medicine such as Bai-Nu decoction, and Buzhong Yiqi decoction possessed anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant properties, which improved the properties of western medicines added by increasing the white blood cell count and lymphocyte count supplement with vitamin C for combating COVID-19.The western medicines that are commonly used include (i) alpha-interferon (5 million U or equivalent dose each time for adults and twice daily), (ii) lopinavir/ritonavir (200 mg/50 mg per pill for adults, two pills each time and twice daily), ribavirin (jointly with interferon or lopinavir/ritonavir, 500 mg each time for adults, and twice or three times of intravenous injection daily), chloroquine phosphate (500 mg for 7 days, adults aged 18-65 with body weight over 50 kg), and arbidol (200 mg for adults, and no longer than 10 days). (To be continued)..

Could Artemisinin Increase the Sensitivity of Photodynamic Therapy Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection?

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Preventive Effect of Curcumin Against Chemotherapy-Induced Side-Effects

Cancer is still a severe threat to the health of people worldwide. Chemotherapy is one of main therapeutic approaches to combat cancer. However, chemotherapy only has a limited success with severe side effects, especially causing damage to normal tissues such as bone marrow, gastrointestine, heart, liver, renal, neuron, and auditory tissues, etc. The side-effects limit clinical outcome of chemotherapy and lower patients’ quality of life, and even make many patients discontinue the chemotherapy. Thus, there is a need to explore effective adjuvant strategies to prevent and reduce the chemotherapy-induced side effects. Naturally occurring products provide a rich source for exploring effective adjuvant agents to prevent and reduce the side effects in anticancer chemotherapy. Curcumin is an active compound from natural plant Curcuma longa L., which is widely used as a coloring and flavoring agent in food industry and a herbal medicine in Asian countries for thousands of years to treat vomiting, headache, diarrhea, etc. Modern pharmacological studies have revealed that curcumin has strong antioxidative, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. Growing evidence shows that curcumin is able to prevent carcinogenesis, sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy, and protect normal cells from chemotherapy-induced damages. In the present article, we review the preventive effect of curcumin against chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, gastrointestinal toxicity, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, ototoxicity, and genotoxicity, and discuss its action mechanisms

Could the SARS-CoV-2 infection be acquired from Smartphones?

Based on the provided information, smartphone devices can be a mediator in the transmission of infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare centers and the community. It is known that smartphones are no longer only for phone calls, but their use is necessary for communication, health information, e-learning, and medical consultations. Strategies should go beyond the imposition of behavioral controls for individuals with a commitment to regularly disinfect smartphones, portable electronic medical record devices, etc. Besides, finding alternative ways to use these devices in a clinical setting is paramount importance

Possible Western and Chinese medicines for “Omicron”

Recently, there is a COVID-19 mutated variant, B.1.1.529 discovered in South Africa and called “Omicron” according to the World Health organization's suggestion. This is not yet clear whether omicron is more transmissible from person to person. It causes the infection by the presence of spike protein which facilitates a virus’ entry into the host cell. Is vaccination suitable for this variant? Up to the present, we have received very little information about the omicron which mainly depends on previous experiences in other COVID-19 variants. Thus, some possible treatments of omicron have been proposed in Western and Chinese medicines.In western medicine, COVID-19 antibody-drug such as “Sotrovimab” is still effective to fight against the omicron variant. Sotrovimab is a SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody that targets the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding domain (RBD) and locks the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein for mediating the spike-ACE2 interaction. Anti-viral drugs such as “Remdesivir” are also thought to be effective for the omicron variant. Remdesivir is an inhibitor of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase which reduces and suppresses the virus replication. (To be continued)..

Folic acid-modified celastrol nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, anticancer activity in 2D and 3D breast cancer models

AbstractCelastrol is used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating cancers. However, its low water solubility and poor tumour selection represent major pitfalls for clinical application. In the present study, gold nanoparticle (AuNP) firstly was conjugated with PVP-co-2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (Polymer) and celastrol then modified by folic acid. The as-prepared folate receptor-targeted celastrol AuNP (FCA) was characterized using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectrometry, transmission electron microscope, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The physical properties of FCA were also determined in solubility, drug encapsulation and in vitro drug release. Its anticancer activities were assessed in the 2D and 3D breast cancer models. The results showed that FCA was synthesized successfully with good solubility, high encapsulation efficiency and loading content. FCA showed the optimal cumulative release at pH 5.0 and high cellular uptake and exhibited significant inhibition on breast cancer cells. FCA also induced more significant apoptosis either in 2D and 3D breast cancer model than the celastrol AuNP and celastrol alone. These findings demonstrate that FCA improves water solubility of celastrol and enhances its anticancer activities against breast cancer. FCA might be a potential candidate of anticancer drug for breast cancer in the future if further development

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): From Causes to Preventions in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has been recently attacked by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). In late January 2020, it's shown a steadily increasing trend of confirmed cases. There is a 257 in total infected cases confirmed including 4 deaths until 20th of March 2020. To prevent further outbreak of COVID-19, this article discusses the current understanding of COVID-19 and compares with the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in 2003 of Hong Kong from the causes, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and preventions to study for an applicable measurement to control COVID-19

The Potential Use of “Magnoliae flos” Against COVID-19

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