Graphene-based materials as nanoplatforms for antiviral therapy and prophylaxis

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The dramatic effects caused by viral diseases have prompted the search for effective therapeutic and preventive agents. In this context, 2D graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) have shown great potential for antiviral therapy, enabling the functionalization and/or decoration with biomolecules, metals and polymers, able to improve their interaction with viral nanoparticles.

Areas covered

This review summarizes the most recent advances of the antiviral research related to 2D GBNs, based on their antiviral mechanism of action. Their ability to inactivate viruses by inhibiting the entry inside cells, or through drug/gene delivery, or by stimulating the host immune response are here discussed. As reported, biological studies performed in vitro and/or in vivo allowed to demonstrate the antiviral activity of the developed GBNs, at different stages of the virus life cycle and the evaluation of their long-term toxicity. Other mechanisms closely related to the physicochemical properties of GBNs are also reported, demonstrating the potential of these materials for antiviral prophylaxis.

Expert opinion

GBNs represent valuable tools to fight emerging or reemerging viral infections. However, their translation into the clinic requires standardized scale-up procedures leading to the reliable and reproducible synthesis of these nanomaterials with suitable physicochemical properties, as well as more in-depth pharmacological and toxicological investigations. We believe that multidisciplinary approaches will give valuable solutions to overcome the encountered limitations in the application of GBNs in biomedical and clinical field.

Graphical Abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Graphene-based materials
• antiviral agents
• virus entry inhibitors
• drug delivery systems
• immunotherapeutics
• electrostatic inactivation
• photodegradation
• protective coatings

Article highlights

• The dramatic effects caused by emerging and reemerging viral infections increasingly underline the need to find new and effective therapeutic and preventive agents.

• 2D graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) have shown great potential in antiviral therapy, demonstrating the ability to inactivate enveloped and non-enveloped RNA and DNA viruses, through different mechanisms.

• The more hydrophilic GBNs, including graphene oxide (GO) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs), have demonstrated the ability to inhibit virus attachment and entry, to inactivate viruses by specific drug/gene delivery in host cells or to stimulate host immune response.

• Graphene and the reduced form of graphene oxide (rGO), which are the more hydrophobic and conductive GBNs, are suitable materials for long-lasting photocatalytic viral deactivation and have been exploited for the prevention and/or inhibition of viral spread.

• Reliable and reproducible syntheses of GBNs, with adequate physicochemical properties, and more in-depth pharmacological and toxicological investigations will represent the key steps to allow their successful translation into the clinic.

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 not funded.