Title:Potential Neuroprotective Effect of Cannabinoids in COVID-19 Patients
Volume: 22
Issue: 16
Author(s): José Luis Cortes-Altamirano, Ariadna Yáñez-Pizaña, Samuel Reyes-Long, González-Maciel Angélica, Cindy Bandala, Herlinda Bonilla-Jaime and Alfonso Alfaro-Rodríguez*
Affiliation:
- Division de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, Secretaría de Salud, Mexico City, 14389, Mexico
Keywords:
Cannabinoids, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Neuroprotection, CB2, CB1.
Abstract: The global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus began in early 2020 and is still
present. The respiratory symptoms caused by COVID-19 are well established. However, neurological
manifestations that may result from direct or indirect neurological damage after SARS-CoV-2
infection have been reported frequently. The main proposed pathophysiological processes leading to
neurological damage in COVID-19 are cerebrovascular disease and indirect inflammatory/
autoimmune origin mechanisms. A growing number of studies confirm that neuroprotective
measures should be maintained in COVID-19 patients. On the other hand, cannabinoids have been
the subject of various studies that propose them as potentially promising drugs in chronic neurodegenerative
diseases due to their powerful neuroprotective potential. In this review, we addresses
the possible mechanism of action of cannabinoids as a neuroprotective treatment in patients infected
by SARS-CoV-2. The endocannabinoid system is found in multiple systems within the body, including
the immune system. Its activation can lead to beneficial results, such as a decrease in viral
entry, a reduction of viral replication, and a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-2,
IL-4, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α, or IFN-c through CB2R expression induced during inflammation by
SARS-CoV-2 infection in the central nervous system.