International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Cape Town-Component, Cape Town, South Africa.
Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine (IDM), Department of Pathology, Division of Immunology and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Nat Rev Immunol. 2019 Feb;19(2):104-117. doi: 10.1038/s41577-018-0094-3.
Statins were first identified over 40 years ago as lipid-lowering drugs and have been remarkably effective in treating cardiovascular diseases. As research advanced, the protective effects of statins were additionally attributed to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-thrombotic and immunomodulatory functions rather than lipid-lowering abilities alone. By promoting host defence mechanisms and inhibiting pathological inflammation, statins increase survival in human infectious diseases. At the cellular level, statins inhibit the intermediates of the host mevalonate pathway, thus compromising the immune evasion strategies of pathogens and their survival. Here, we discuss the potential use of statins as an inexpensive and practical alternative or adjunctive host-directed therapy for infectious diseases caused by intracellular pathogens, such as viruses, protozoa, fungi and bacteria.
他汀类药物最初在 40 多年前被发现具有降低血脂的作用，并且在治疗心血管疾病方面非常有效。随着研究的进展，他汀类药物的保护作用还归因于其抗炎、抗氧化、抗血栓形成和免疫调节功能，而不仅仅是降低血脂的能力。通过促进宿主防御机制和抑制病理性炎症，他汀类药物可提高人类感染性疾病的生存率。在细胞水平上，他汀类药物抑制宿主甲羟戊酸途径的中间产物，从而破坏病原体的免疫逃避策略及其生存能力。在这里，我们讨论了将他汀类药物作为一种廉价且实用的替代或辅助宿主导向疗法，用于治疗由细胞内病原体（如病毒、原生动物、真菌和细菌）引起的感染性疾病的可能性。
