Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42020366›Full record

ArticleSignal transduction and targeted therapy2026

Sexual dimorphism of COVID-19 inspires drug repositioning and host-targeting immunotherapy for viral pneumonia.

Lunzhi Yuan, Haiqing Xiao, Xuan Liu, Ming Zhou, Chang Zhang, Kun Wu, Jianghui Ye, Longmei Zhang, Xinglin Li, Jian Ma and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Lunzhi Yuan *State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China. yuanlunzhi@xmu.edu.cn.
Haiqing Xiao *State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Xuan Liu *Clinical Center for Bio-Therapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (Xiamen Branch), Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Ming Zhou *State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Chang ZhangClinical Center for Bio-Therapy, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (Xiamen Branch), Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Kun WuState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Jianghui YeState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Longmei ZhangState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Xinglin LiState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Jian MaState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Mujin FangState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Yali ZhangState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Quan YuanState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5487-561X
Rirong ChenState Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Huachen ZhuState Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2711-0501
Yi GuanState Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6057-9243
Tong ChengState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China. tcheng@xmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1638-6214
Ningshao XiaState Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Life Sciences & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China. nsxia@xmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0179-5266

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32201152National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 82002139
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sexual hormones play an important role in modulating disease outcome of COVID-19. The interplay between viral replication, host immune responses, pathology process and sexual hormone levels are complicated, and the underlying mechanisms remain exclusive. Here, we reveal the dose-dependent manner and multi-faceted role of the male hormone testosterone in hamster model of COVID-19 by evaluations of manifestations including survival rate, body weight loss, viral load, immune responses and lung injury. Both low and high doses of testosterone treatment cause more severe illness in male hamsters. Low dose of testosterone is beneficial for female hamsters, but high dose is harmful. Therefore, we evaluate the therapeutic effect of the testosterone inhibitor finasteride in male hamsters and demonstrate that it is sufficient to prevent death and severe pneumonia caused by different SARS-CoV-2 strains. Moreover, pulmonary transcriptome data reveals key clues for the mechanisms of testosterone-mediated disease enhancement and finasteride therapy.

Indexed as

COVID-19Drug RepositioningFinasterideImmunotherapySex CharacteristicsTestosteroneAnimalsCricetinaeDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHost-Directed TherapyHumansLungMaleSARS-CoV-2Viral LoadFinasterideTestosterone

Identifiers

PMID42020366
PMCPMC13103441

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.