Abstract
Prior research on nanotechnologies in diagnostics, prevention and treatment of coronavirus infections is reviewed. Gold nanoparticles and semiconductor quantum dots in colorimetric and immunochromatographic assays, silica nanoparticles in a polymerase chain reaction and spike protein nanospheres as antigen carriers and adjuvants in vaccine formulations present notable examples in diagnostics and prevention, while uses of nanoparticles in coronavirus infection treatments have been merely sporadic. The current absence of antiviral therapeutics that specifically target human coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, might be largely due to the underuse of nanotechnologies. Elucidating the interface between nanoparticles and coronaviruses is timely, but presents the only route to the rational design of precisely targeted therapeutics for coronavirus infections. Such a fundamental approach is also a viable prophylaxis against future pandemics of this type.
Highlights
The absence of antiviral therapeutics that target SARS-CoV-2 might be largely due to the underuse of nanotechnologies in virology
Nanoparticles can enhance the performance of diagnostic assays, serve as adjuvants in vaccine formulations and promote targeted delivery of antiviral therapeutics
Nanoparticles of the coronavirus spike protein sequences, of gold and of polymers such as polyethylene, poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) or chitosan have been used with success as adjuvants in vaccines protecting against coronavirus infections
Summary
30 kDa), envelope (E; 8–12 kDa) and nucleocapsid (N; ∼45 kDa) ones, all of which could be used as targets for diagnostic assays, therapeutic actions or vaccine development schemes. Gold nanoparticles coupled to a monoclonal antibody were used as a reagent for the detection of another coronavirus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), in an immunochromatographic assay of swine stool samples [26] They were used as a coating over carbon electrodes immobilizing the recombinant spike protein S1 in a potentiometric immunosensor for the detection of MERS-CoV, with the role to increase the surface area, the electron transfer rate of the electrode and the cathodic peak current due to the reduction of the ferro/ferricyanide redox solution [27]. Semiconductor quantum dots conjugated with an RNA oligonucleotide were shown to be sensitive to 422 amino acid residues long SARS-CoV N protein and capable of screening for the potential inhibitors of this protein in a biochip
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