Nanotechnology-based promising strategies for the management of COVID-19: current development and constraints

ABSTRACT

Introduction

COVID-19 pandemic has been declared as a global emergency by the World Health Organization which has mounted global pressure on the healthcare system. The design and development of rapid tests for the precise and early detection of infection are urgently needed to detect the disease and also for bulk screening of infected persons. The traditional drugs moderately control the symptoms, but so far, no specific drug has been discovered. The prime concern is to device novel tools for rapid and precise diagnosis, drug delivery, and effective therapies for coronavirus. In this context, nanotechnology offers novel ways to fight against COVID-19.

Area covered

This review includes the use of nanomaterials for the control of COVID-19. The tools for diagnosis of coronavirus, nano-based vaccines, and nanoparticles as a drug delivery system for the treatment of virus infection have been discussed. The toxicity issues related to nanoparticles have also been addressed.

Expert opinion

The research on nanotechnology-based diagnosis, drug delivery, and antiviral therapies is at a preliminary stage. The antiviral nanomedicine therapies are cost-effective and with high quality. Nanoparticles are a promising tool for prevention, diagnosis, antiviral drug delivery, and therapeutics, which may open up new avenues in the treatment of COVID-19.

KEYWORDS:

• Coronavirus
• pandemic
• COVID-19
• nanotechnology
• management

Article highlights

• There is a dire need of regulatory guidelines for nanocarriers and the development of cost-effective therapy for developing countries.

• The main ethical and scientific challenges of research in antiviral nanomedicines are to produce safe and high-quality nanodrugs.

• More studies are needed for the evaluation of nanoparticles to improve the efficacy of antiviral drugs

• Nanoparticles can be used in antiviral therapy in which a high dose of a drug is needed and the drugs are frequently very expensive.

• The technology development for the design of nanomolecules that, besides their role in delivery, possess the intrinsic antiviral therapeutic characteristics (dendrimers and metal nanoparticles).

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Acknowledgments

MR and PG would like to thank NAWA Programme, Poland for financial support under the grant PPN/ULM/2019/1/00117/DEC/1 2019-10-02.