A Nicotinic Hypothesis for Covid-19 with Preventive and Therapeutic Implications

Overview

Journal C R Biol

Specialty Biology

Date 2020 Jul 29

PMID 32720486

Citations 170

Authors

Jean-Pierre Changeux

Zahir Amoura

Felix A Rey

Makoto Miyara

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 epidemics raises a considerable issue of public health at the planetary scale. There is a pressing urgency to find treatments based upon currently available scientific knowledge. Therefore, we tentatively propose a hypothesis which hopefully might ultimately help save lives. Based on the current scientific literature and on new epidemiological data which reveal that current smoking status appears to be a protective factor against the infection by SARS-CoV-2 [1], we hypothesize that the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) plays a key role in the pathophysiology of Covid-19 infection and might represent a target for the prevention and control of Covid-19 infection.

Citing Articles

Clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes among hospitalised COVID-19 patients in tertiary hospitals in Tanzania, 2021-2022: a retrospective cohort study.

Osati E, Shayo G, Sangeda R, Nagu T, Moshiro C, Adams N BMJ Public Health. 2025; 2(2):e000881.

PMID: 40018602 PMC: 11816690. DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2023-000881.

Long COVID - a critical disruption of cholinergic neurotransmission?.

Leitzke M, Roach D, Hesse S, Schonknecht P, Becker G, Rullmann M Bioelectron Med. 2025; 11(1):5.

PMID: 40011942 PMC: 11866872. DOI: 10.1186/s42234-025-00167-8.

In Vitro Screening of an In-House Library of Structurally Distinct Chemotypes Towards the Identification of Novel SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors.

Tonelli M, Sparatore A, Bassanini I, Francesconi V, Sparatore F, Maina K Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025; 17(12.

PMID: 39770510 PMC: 11676875. DOI: 10.3390/ph17121668.

Predicting susceptibility to COVID-19 infection in patients on maintenance hemodialysis by cross-coupling soluble ACE2 concentration with lymphocyte count: an algorithmic approach.

Yuan S, Meng F, Zhou S, Liu X, Liu X, Zhang L Front Med (Lausanne). 2024; 11:1444719.

PMID: 39540040 PMC: 11558530. DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1444719.

Nicotine is an Immunosuppressant: Implications for Women's Health and Disease.

White A, Craig A, Richie D, Corley C, Sadek S, Barton H J Neuroimmunol. 2024; 397:578468.

PMID: 39461120 PMC: 11653054. DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2024.578468.