Beta-blockers could potentially be used to treat COVID-19, according to a new international study by Italian and Australian scientists.
University of South Australia cancer researcher, Dr Nirmal Robinson, working with a team in Naples, has found evidence in animal models that the beta-blocker Propranolol helps suppress the spread of cancer in the lung which has an inflammatory profile very similar to COVID-19.
The scientists have presented their findings in a paper published in Frontiers in Immunology, calling for clinical trials to support their research.
Dr Robinson, Head of the Cellular-Stress and Immune Response Laboratory at the Centre for Cancer Biology, says Propranolol is commonly used to treat heart conditions, anxiety and migraine. Recent clinical trials have shown its effectiveness for other conditions, including cancer.
Read more at University of South Australia
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