https://www.pnas.org/content/118/1/e2021450118
Stumbled across a study which seemed to mention AR inhibitors being thought of as a possible treatment for covid earlier in the pandemic. Maybe i’ve understood it wrong though, if anyone cares to simplify what they’re discussing that would be great
For a virus to infect a host, it needs to have an entry point. With SARS-CoV-2, the entry points it uses are two proteins called ACE2 and TMPRSS2.
Scientists found that males were disproportionately affected in terms of mortality and morbidity by COVID-19, so they postulated that this was because of the differing levels of androgens.
They set up an experiment and found that androgens increase the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2
and this increase in ACE2 and TMPRSS2 has the effect of (this is an oversimplification, but it should do), giving the virus more “entry points”.
Based on that, they’re suggesting that people be given AR inhibitors, which will lower androgenic response in the body, and lead to a downregulation of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. At least, that’s my understanding of it.