Titanium dioxide nanostructures that reduce the infectivity of respiratory syncytial virus

Abstract

The spread of respiratory diseases has gained significant attention since the detection and rapid global spread of COVID-19. Respiratory viruses are commonly transmitted when an infected person coughs or sneezes onto a surface, infecting persons who subsequently contact this surface. For this reason, developing surfaces with inherent antipathogenic properties is crucially needed for controlling the spread of deadly pathogens. Recent studies have established the antipathogenic potential of hydrothermally synthesised titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanostructured surfaces against bacteria strains (Gram-positive and negative) and several respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, HRV-16 and HCoV-NL63. This study investigates the antiviral behaviour of TiO2 nanostructured surfaces against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), a respiratory virus commonly contracted by children, to reduce viral transmission in high-traffic environments such as hospitals and childcare centers. Mimicking droplets produced when a person coughs or sneezes, RSV droplets were exposed to nanostructured surfaces to investigate their antiviral potential. Results show that nanostructured TiO2 reduced the RSV infectious viral load at all timepoints compared to control surfaces, showing 1.7, 2.6 and 3.2 log reductions after 2-, 5- and 7-hours exposure, respectively. Interestingly, virus exposed to nanostructured surfaces showed little to no infectivity after 5 h exposure while viable virus was still detected on control surfaces after 7 h exposure. These encouraging results establish TiO2 nanostructured surfaces as a potential method for reducing transmission and spread of respiratory viruses and bacterial strains.