Putting SARS-COV-2 in a Bind

Courtesy Photo | Nanosponges attract and capture virus cells to help prevent them from causing infection. (UC San Diego image)  

FT. BELVOIR, VA, UNITED STATES

10.27.2021

Courtesy Story

Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Chemical and Biological Technologies Department

Early testing indicates “nanosponges” may provide an innovative solution for treating COVID 19 and other emerging infectious diseases. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense Program is investing in medical countermeasure research at the University of California San Diego’s (UCSD) Department of NanoEngineering to determine if nanosponges can provide an effective treatment against infectious diseases.

Nanosponges are tiny biodegradable polymers wrapped by the membrane of target cells, such as lung epithelial cells.

Some “good” news about SARS-CoV-2 is that it shares most of its gene content with SARS-CoV that affected humans several years ago. In both coronaviruses, there are common viral antigens—toxins or other foreign substances that induce an immune response in the body—and common proteases—enzymes that break down proteins and peptides. A recent study confirmed that, like SARS-CoV, the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) processed or “expressed” in the lining of the human respiratory tract is the entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2.

These novel nanosponges could potentially combat a variety of viruses that enter hosts' airways by acting as a decoy and binding to the viruses before they can bind to host cells. Zhang et al. recently published results showing that SARS-CoV-2 binds to these decoy nanosponges that were more than 90% effective in causing the virus to lose its ability to infect cells in vitro. Once the virus is locked into the decoy, it can't invade any real cells, and is then cleared by the body's immune system. UCSD researchers specifically focused on overexpressing ACE-2, the key player mediating the entry of SARS-CoV-2.

This research shows promise that nanosponges could be used both to prevent disease and as a post-exposure treatment to better protect warfighters and the public from COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases.

Read the article: Cellular Nanosponges Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Infectivity

POC: Lt. Col. Krystal Walker, [e-mail]

• Date Taken: 10.27.2021
• Date Posted: 10.27.2021 17:18
• Story ID: 408160
• Location: FT. BELVOIR, VA, US