Natural PAK1 inhibitors: potent anti-inflammatory effectors for prevention of pulmonary fibrosis in COVID-19 therapy

• Published in: Natural product research Vol. 38; no. 20; pp. 3644 - 3656
• Main Author: Arslan, Idris
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 17-10-2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Actin; Angiogenesis; anti-inflammatory; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - therapeutic use; Antiviral agents; Antiviral Agents - chemistry; Antiviral Agents - pharmacology; Biological activity; Biological Products - chemistry; Biological Products - pharmacology; Biological Products - therapeutic use; Cell cycle; Chemical synthesis; Coronaviruses; COVİD-19; COVID-19; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Cytoskeleton; Drug development; Fibrosis; Humans; Kinases; Lung diseases; Metabolites; Metastases; Natural inhibitor; Natural products; p21-Activated Kinases - antagonists & inhibitors; p21-Activated Kinases - metabolism; PAK1; pandemic; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Pulmonary fibrosis; Pulmonary Fibrosis - drug therapy; SARS-CoV-2; Viral diseases; COVİD-19; anti-inflammatory; PAK1; Natural inhibitor; pandemic; pulmonary fibrosis
• ISSN: 1478-6419; 1478-6427
• DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2254454

One of the main efforts of scientists to study drug development is the discovery of novel antiviral agents that could be beneficial in the struggle against viruses that cause diseases in humans. Natural products are complex metabolites that are designed and synthesised by different sources in an attempt to optimise nature. Recently, natural products are still a source of biologically active molecules, facilitating drug discovery. A p21-activating kinase PAK1 is a key regulator of cytoskeletal actin assembly, phenotypic signalling, and transcription process which affects a wide range of cellular processes such as cell motility, invasion, metastasis, cell growth, angiogenesis, and cell cycle progression. Most recently, PAK1 was shown to be involved in the progression of coronavirus-caused pulmonary inflammation (lung fibrosis), but clinical data is not currently available yet. This review highlights the naturally occurring compounds that inhibit the oncogenic, melanogenic, and ageing kinase PAK1. Additionally, the potent anti-inflammatory effects of natural products in an attempt to prevent pulmonary fibrosis in COVID-19 have also been discussed.