Nanotechnology Responses to COVID‐19

Abstract

Dedicated to Dr. André Van Meerbeeck and to all the direct and indirect victims of the COVID-19 pandemic Researchers, engineers, and medical doctors are made aware of the severity of the COVID-19 infection and act quickly against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 using a large variety of tools. In this review, a panoply of nanoscience and nanotechnology approaches show how these disciplines can help the medical, technical, and scientific communities to fight the pandemic, highlighting the development of nanomaterials for detection, sanitation, therapies, and vaccines. SARS-CoV-2, which can be regarded as a functional core-shell nanoparticle (NP), can interact with diverse materials in its vicinity and remains attached for variable times while preserving its bioactivity. These studies are critical for the appropriate use of controlled disinfection systems. Other nanotechnological approaches are also decisive for the development of improved novel testing and diagnosis kits of coronavirus that are urgently required. Therapeutics are based on nanotechnology strategies as well and focus on antiviral drug design and on new nanoarchitectured vaccines. A brief overview on patented work is presented that emphasizes nanotechnology applied to coronaviruses. Finally, some comments are made on patents of the initial technological responses to COVID-19 that have already been put in practice.

Focused role of nanoparticles against COVID-19: Diagnosis and treatment

“…AgNPs also demonstrated inhibition of replication in both Hepatitis B and respiratory syncytial viruses [ 132 , 133 ]. They used TiO 2 /Ag mixture for surface sanitization of buildings in Milan and found it effective against the virus [ 134 ].…”

Nanotechnology to the Rescue: Treatment Perspective for the Immune Dysregulation Observed in COVID-19

“…Nanotechnology has been introduced into antiviral research before, but its prospects for success with SARS-CoV-2 are better than one might imagine, given that SARS-CoV-2 and nanomaterials are similar in size, SARS-CoV-2 (60-140 nm) is also near in size to most current FDA-approved nanomaterials, nanomaterials can co-deliver multiple drugs and allow drug targeting and control release (Tang et al, 2021). Nanomedical approaches for the treatment COVID-19 is being touted as an innovative and an effective treatment strategy (Jindal and Gopinath, 2020;Ruiz-Hitzky et al, 2020;Talebian and Conde, 2020). Nanoencapsulation of drugs may contribute to the development of safer treatments for COVID-19 (Mainardes and Diedrich, 2020).…”

Sec‐Eliminating the SARS‐CoV‐2 by AlGaN Based High Power Deep Ultraviolet Light Source

“…According to the character of disinfection, the popular avenues are mainly divided into two main series: i) chemical disinfectant like alcohol, chloride and strong oxidizer, etc., which easily breaks down the basic protein frame of viruses. [ 1–3 ] Although advanced by cost‐efficiency and convenience, their anti‐virus effect does not persist and in some cases is detrimental to human health; ii) to minimize the negative impact on social activities in public areas, physical treatment like ultraviolet (UV) light is preferable. [ 4 ] By fully employing the germicidal properties, the ultraviolet C (UVC) light (with wavelength of 180–280 nm) has been verified to destroy the chemical bonds inside the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA) of microorganisms which is the genetic carrier for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the virus causing COVID‐19.…”