AUTHOR=Ping Yueh-Hsin , Yeh Hsin , Chu Li-Wei , Lin Zhi-Hu , Hsu Yin-Chieh , Lin Lie-Chwen , Hsu Chung-Hua , Fu Shu-Ling , Lin Tung-Yi 

TITLE=The Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Jing Guan Fang for Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection: From Clinical Observation to Basic Research

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.744439

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.744439

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>COVID-19 is a global epidemic. Developing adjuvant therapies which could prevent the virus from binding to cells may impair viral infection. This study produces a traditional Chinese medicine formula, Jing Guan Fang (JGF), based on ancient medical texts, and examines the efficacy and the mechanism by which JGF prevents viral infections. JGF reduces COVID-19 like symptoms. Functional studies show that JGF inhibits the formation of syncytium and reduces the formation of viral plaque. JGF is not toxic <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>. Mechanistically, JGF induces lysosomal-dependent ACE2 degradation and suppresses mRNA and the protein levels of TMPRSS2 in human lung WI-38 and MRC-5 cells. Mice that inhale JGF exhibit reduced ACE2 and TMPRSS2 protein levels in lung tissues. Together, these findings suggest that JGF may improve the COVID-19 like symptoms and inhibit viral infection. Moreover, JGF may be applicable as an adjuvant preventive strategy against SARS-CoV-2 infection in addition to the use of vaccines.</p>