Can nanotechnology help in the fight against COVID-19?

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus demands the development of strategies not only to detect or inactivate the virus, but to treat it (therapeutically and prophylactically). COVID-19 is not only a critical threat for the population with risk factors, but also generates a dramatic economic impact in terms of morbidity and the overall interruption of economic activities.

Areas covered

Advanced materials are the basis of several technologies that could diminish the impact of COVID-19: biosensors might allow early virus detection, nanosized vaccines are powerful agents that could prevent viral infections, and nanosystems with antiviral activity could bind the virus for inactivation or destruction upon application of an external stimulus. Herein all these methods are discussed under the light of cutting-edge technologies and the previously reported prototypes targeting enveloped viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2. This analysis was derived from an extensive scientific literature search (including pubmed) performed on April 2020.

Expert opinion

Perspectives on how biosensors, vaccines, and antiviral nanosystems can be implemented to fight COVID-19 are envisioned; identifying the approaches that can be implemented in the short term and those that deserve long term research to cope with respiratory viruses-related pandemics in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• SARS-CoV-2
• biosensors
• virus-like particles
• graphene oxide
• silver nanoparticles
• quantum dots
• silica nanoparticles
• nanoclays

Article highlights

• SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), which has evolved as pandemic with a dramatic impact around the globe.

• Technologies to detect or inhibit the virus; and also to prevent the infection are urgently needed

• Nanotechnology can provide biosensors, vaccines, and antiviral materials.

• Cutting edge technologies related to these approaches are presented and the cases of SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV are commented as key references for this field.

• The road ahead on the development of biosensors, vaccines, and antiviral nanosystems against SARS-CoV-2 is discussed.

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.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was funded by Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, México (CONACYT/México) (grant CB 2017/2018-A1-S-31287 to GP)