COVID-19 Research Perspective Volume 12, Issue 10 pp 8760—8765

Figure 2. CRAC-targeted activity of metformin: From preventive therapy of the premature death attributable to PM air pollution to geroprotector against the gerophilic and gerolavic traits of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ability of metformin to suppress the signaling by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are necessary for the opening of Ca²⁺ release-activated Ca²⁺ channels in the generation of IL-6 from alveolar macrophages upon exposure to PM air pollution might mechanistically extend to the immune dysregulation/inflammation and thrombotic events driven by the systemic release of IL-6 from lung macrophages in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. By restraining the raging of cytokine and thrombotic-like storms, two of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infection, metformin might be considered a putative geroprotector against the gerophilic and gerolavic traits of COVID-19 disease.