Title:Amidst Cytokine Storm in Metabolic Diseases: Can 2-deoxy-D-glucose
(2-DG) Cure COVID-19?
Volume: 5
Issue: 2
Author(s): Shweta Shrivastava, Ayush Kumar, Manish Kumar Jeengar, Elsy Xavier and Prashant Tiwari*
Affiliation:
- College of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Dayananda Sagar University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560111, India
Keywords:
SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, 2-deoxy-D-glucose, metabolic disease, spike protein dynamics, aerobic glycolysis.
Abstract: The SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2)-related pandemic
disease COVID-19, which began in China in 2019, became the leading cause of fatalities globally.
The transmission rate of the virus is directly proportional to the so-called ‘dance dynamic’ energy of
the spike protein as this phenomenon favours the ligand-receptor binding. The clinical spectrum of
the COVID-19 disease, which includes (inflammation, cytokine storm, and multi-organ dysfunction),
puts Corona Warriors active in various aspects of the disease, such as the efficient management of
critically ill COVID-19 patients, in danger of losing their lives. Due to its effects on an ancient oxygen-
independent glycolytic pathway, anti-inflammatory properties, and competitive interaction with
viral proteins, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), which is being developed in India at the Defence Research
and Development Organization (DRDO), has emerged as a ground-breaking agent for
COVID-19 treatment. After a virus gains entry into host cells, it is found that metabolic reprogramming
takes place to meet the nutritional and energy requirements for virus reproduction. The recent
approval of 2-DG for adjunctive emergency usage by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)
may mark a turning point in the management of mild to moderate COVID-19 infection.