| Notwithstanding the wishful thinking of certain irresponsible and incompetent public figures, the only options to control and deal with the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are fast, cheap, reliable, and portable means of diagnosing COVID-19 infection (the name of disease caused by SARS-CoV-2); therapeutics to treat the infected; and vaccines to rapidly build up immunization of large parts of the global population. | |
| In a previous Nanowerk Spotlight we covered nanotechnology-based approaches to testing for COVID-19 infections in high-risk individuals. Today we look at the role of nanotechnology in countering the conventional limitations of antiviral and biological therapeutics. Nanocarriers also have potential to design risk-free and effective immunization strategies for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates such as protein constructs and nucleic acids. | |
| A review paper in ACS Nano (“Nanotechnology for COVID-19: Therapeutics and Vaccine Research”) provides systematic information on nanomedicine strategies employed to deliver small molecules, biologicals (specifically RNAi) and various combination therapies. Some strategies are also proposed for the rational development of this nanomedicine approach and its clinical translation. Since most of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates are sophisticated biological moieties (DNA, mRNA, recombinant proteins, engineered APCs etc.), the scope of nanocarrier delivery becomes highly pertinent. | |
| The authors first describe in great detail the current state of knowledge about the virus’s life cycle, pathophysiology and structure, and then address the organ systems primarily affected by SARS-CoV-2 (it affects the respiratory system first and then spreads systemically to the heart, liver and kidney). | |
Developing SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics |
|
| Today there is no exclusive antiviral treatment against SARS-CoV-2 although therapeutic and prophylactic strategies to deal with existing and potentially upcoming coronavirus infections are under development in research laboratories worldwide. | |
| Using recently available genetic information and protein structure modelling, several therapeutic strategies based on drug repurposing are projected for the immediate treatment of infected patients. | |
| According to the authors, target identification to halt the pathogenesis of the viral infection holds the key in this development: “Viral protease (3CLpro and PLpro), host cell produced protease (TMPRSS2), RNA polymerase (RdRp), interaction site of viral S protein with host receptor ACE2 are among the major targets identified for repurposing already existing antiviral molecules and new small molecules under development.” | |
| Other proposed strategies are targeting the SARS-CoV-2 surface S protein using neutralizing antibody (nAbs) and targeting the SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA genome using RNA interference (RNAi) or antisense oligonucleotides. | |
Developing a vaccine against COVID-19 |
|
| Massive efforts are being employed across the world to develop safe and effective vaccines and several vaccine candidates (see Table 1 in the review for details) have already made it to human clinical trials as a result of fast-tracked development strategies and advanced vaccine technological platforms (read more here in The New England Journal of Medicine: “Developing Covid-19 Vaccines at Pandemic Speed”). | |
| Similar to what researchers are doing in developing SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics, the target strategy for most of the vaccine candidates is to induce nAbs against the viral S protein, averting the ACE2 mediated host uptake. | |
| In the case of SARS-CoV vaccine development, higher nAbs titers and better protection was reported with S protein subunit vaccines when compared to any other target strategy. SARS/MERS vaccine development research suggests S protein subunits, RBD of the S1 subunit and S protein/gene as the most preferred target sites. | |
| The development of COVID-19 vaccine candidates are relying on several high-tech platforms including attenuated and inactivated viruses, replicating and non replicating viral vectors, DNA and mRNA, virus-like particles and recombinant protein-based approaches. |
Image Credit: Envato/ Amanda Scott
News This Week
Frank Boehm contributes to ‘Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function’
Modern Approaches to Augmentation of Brain Function Available from Springer Press This book covers recent advances in neural technology that provide for enhancements for brain function. It addresses a broad range of neural phenomena [...]
COVID-19: Experimental vaccine lasts 1 month at room temperature
Although the currently available COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective, limited manufacturing capacity and the need for cold-chain storage hinder their global distribution. A recent study tested the efficacy of a new adeno-associated virus (AAV) [...]
COVID vaccines hold up against severe Delta: US data
Fully vaccinated people were 11 times less likely to die of COVID and 10 times less likely to be hospitalized compared to the unvaccinated since highly contagious Delta became the most common variant, US [...]
How much protection COVID-19 vaccines give you against the Delta variant – best available data
The highly-infectious Delta coronavirus variant has spread to at least 174 countries worldwide, from the US to Australia, causing a surge in COVID-19 cases. The variant has mutations that help it partially escape the immune response produced by [...]
Without these lipid shells, there would be no mRNA vaccines for COVID-19
Fragile mRNA molecules used in COVID-19 vaccines can’t get into cells on their own. They owe their success to lipid nanoparticles that took decades to refine. Messenger RNA (mRNA) is having a moment. This [...]
COVID-19 Has Revealed Critical Knowledge Gaps on the Transmission of Respiratory Viruses
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed critical knowledge gaps and assumptions concerning how respiratory viruses spread between hosts. Traditionally thought to be spread mainly through large respiratory droplets produced by the coughs and sneezes of sick individuals, [...]
Beyond coronavirus: the virus discoveries transforming biology
SARS-CoV-2 is just one of nonillions of viruses on our planet, and scientists are rapidly identifying legions of new species. Mya Breitbart has hunted novel viruses in African termite mounds, Antarctic seals and water [...]
COVID Vaccines Compared
There are three COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are all highly effective in protecting you from the virus that causes COVID-19. The Pfizer [...]
Covid Long-Haulers are Fighting for their Future
Many people with long COVID feel that science is failing them. Neglecting them could make the pandemic even worse. While watching the scientific community grapple with long COVID, I have thought a lot about a [...]
Experts Identify New COVID Variation in South Africa – What’s Known So Far
As a team of South African researchers we have identified a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. A lineage represents a genetically distinct virus population with a common ancestor. This virus may be designated as a variant [...]
Biden administration prepares for ‘reasonable likelihood’ of another serious pandemic
Citing the possibility of another serious pandemic, the Biden administration on Friday laid out a plan to transform the nation’s ability to respond to major biological threats. As staggering as the COVID-19 pandemic has been, [...]
Video: How Doctors Can Predict Who Dies From COVID
How doctors can predict which patients are more likely to die of COVID Several studies have come out about the COVID prognosis. As a result, we now have a powerful way to predict [...]
New COVID-19 Mu Variant Named a “Variant of Interest”
Though Delta continues to be the dominant COVID-19 strain, the World Health Organization (WHO) now says there's a new variant to keep your eye on. The B.1.621 variant, also called Mu, has just been [...]
Coronavirus vaccines cut risk of long Covid, study finds
Being fully vaccinated against Covid-19 not only cuts the risk of catching it, but also of an infection turning into long Covid, research led by King's College London suggests. It shows that in the [...]
Moderna Creates Twice as Many Antibodies as Pfizer, Study Shows
Moderna Inc.’s Covid vaccine generated more than double the antibodies of a similar shot made by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE in research directly comparing immune responses to the inoculations. A study of almost [...]
Covid variant detected in South Africa ‘most mutated variant so far’
A coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa 'could be more infectious' than other mutations and have the potential to 'evade vaccines', scientists have said. The C.1.2 strain, which is linked to 'increased transmissibility', is more mutations away from [...]
