Carnosic acid for COVID-19

Abstract In recent years, the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been gradually increasing. Despite advances in supportive care, ARDS remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. ARDS is characterized by acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure with diffuse pulmonary inflammation and bilateral edema due to excessive alveolocapillary permeability in patients with non-cardiogenic pulmonary diseases. Over the past seven decades, our understanding of the pathology and clinical characteristics of ARDS has evolved significantly, yet it remains an area of active research and discovery. ARDS is highly heterogeneous, including diverse pathological causes, clinical presentations, and treatment responses, presenting a significant challenge for clinicians and researchers. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the latest advancements in ARDS research, focusing on its heterogeneity, pathophysiological mechanisms, and emerging therapeutic approaches, such as cellular therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Moreover, we also examine the pathological characteristics of COVID-19-related ARDS and discuss the corresponding therapeutic approaches. In the face of challenges posed by ARDS heterogeneity, recent advancements offer hope for improved patient outcomes. Further research is essential to translate these findings into effective clinical interventions and personalized treatment approaches for ARDS, ultimately leading to better outcomes for patients suffering from ARDS.

In 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) challenged the world with a global outbreak that led to millions of deaths worldwide. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the symptomatic manifestation of this virus, which can range from flu-like symptoms to utter clinical complications and even death. Since there was no clear medicine that could tackle this infection or lower its complications with minimal adverse effects on the patients’ health, the world health organization (WHO) developed awareness programs to lower the infection rate and limit the fast spread of this virus. Although vaccines have been developed as preventative tools, people still prefer going back to traditional herbal medicine, which provides remarkable health benefits that can either prevent the viral infection or limit the progression of severe symptoms through different mechanistic pathways with relatively insignificant side effects. This comprehensive review provides scientific evidence elucidating the effect of 10 different plants against SARS-CoV-2, paving the way for further studies to reconsider plant-based extracts, rich in bioactive compounds, into more advanced clinical assessments in order to identify their impact on patients suffering from COVID-19.