Unleashing the potential of cell membrane-based nanoparticles for COVID-19 treatment and vaccination

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a particular coronavirus strain responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), accounting for more than 3.1 million deaths worldwide. Several health-related strategies have been successfully developed to contain the rapidly-spreading virus across the globe, toward reduction of both disease burden and infection rates. Particularly, attention has been focused on either the development of novel drugs and vaccines, or by adapting already-existing drugs for COVID-19 treatment, mobilizing huge efforts to block disease progression and to overcome the shortage of effective measures available at this point.

Areas covered: This perspective covers the breakthrough of multifunctional biomimetic cell membrane-based nanoparticles as next-generation nanosystems for cutting-edge COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccination, specifically cell membrane-derived nanovesicles and cell membrane-coated nanoparticles, both tailorable cell membrane-based nanosystems enriched with the surface repertoire of native cell membranes, toward maximized biointerfacing, immune evasion, cell targeting and cell-mimicking properties.

Expert opinion: Nano-based approaches have received widespread interest regarding enhanced antigen delivery, prolonged blood circulation half-life and controlled release of drugs. Cell membrane-based nanoparticles comprise interesting antiviral multifunctional nanoplatforms for blocking SARS-CoV-2 binding to host cells, reducing inflammation through cytokine neutralization and improving drug delivery toward COVID-19 treatment.

KEYWORDS:

• Nanoparticle
• biomimetic
• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• cell membrane-coated
• infection
• bacteria
• virus

Article highlights

• COVID-19 is an ongoing disease provoked by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2);

• Novel prophylactic and therapeutic measures are urgently needed for COVID-19 management;

• Nanoparticles have been receiving particular attention for COVID-19 treatment and vaccination;

• Cell membrane-based nanoparticles acanreproduce the surface repertoire and biofunctionality of native cell membranes;

• Cell membrane nanovesicles and cell membrane-coated nanoparticles represent the two main classes of cell membrane-based nanoparticles;

• Cell membrane-based nanoparticles are promising multifunctional nano-based approaches for multivalent COVID-19 treatment and vaccination.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Declaration of interest

NF Steinmetz is a co-founder of Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc. The authors have no other 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 apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

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

Additional information

Funding

This work received financial support from the grants SFRH/BD/148771/2019 (to MP-S) and PTDC/BTM-MAT/4738/2020 (to ACP-S) from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT). This work is also supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation NSF CMMI-2027668 (to NFS). The authors GC, SOM-C would like to acknowledge the funding support provided by the Federico Baur Endowed Chair in Nanotechnology (0020240I03)