Nanomaterials to combat SARS-CoV-2: Strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat COVID-19

• Published in: Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology Vol. 10; p. 1052436
• Main Authors: Valenzuela-Fernández, Agustín, Cabrera-Rodriguez, Romina, Ciuffreda, Laura, Perez-Yanes, Silvia, Estevez-Herrera, Judith, González-Montelongo, Rafaela, Alcoba-Florez, Julia, Trujillo-González, Rodrigo, García-Martínez de Artola, Diego, Gil-Campesino, Helena, Díez-Gil, Oscar, Lorenzo-Salazar, José M., Flores, Carlos, Garcia-Luis, Jonay
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 25.11.2022
• Subjects: Bioengineering and Biotechnology; lipid nanoparticles; modified mRNA; nanoreagents; personal protective equipment; recombinant proteins; vaccines; nanoreagents; lipid nanoparticles; personal protective equipment; vaccines; surveillance and diagnosis; recombinant proteins; genome sequencing; modified mRNA
• ISSN: 2296-4185; 2296-4185
• DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1052436

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which severely affect the respiratory system and several organs and tissues, and may lead to death, have shown how science can respond when challenged by a global emergency, offering as a response a myriad of rapid technological developments. Development of vaccines at lightning speed is one of them. SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks have stressed healthcare systems, questioning patients care by using standard non-adapted therapies and diagnostic tools. In this scenario, nanotechnology has offered new tools, techniques and opportunities for prevention, for rapid, accurate and sensitive diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. In this review, we focus on the nanotechnological applications and nano-based materials (i.e., personal protective equipment) to combat SARS-CoV-2 transmission, infection, organ damage and for the development of new tools for virosurveillance, diagnose and immune protection by mRNA and other nano-based vaccines. All the nano-based developed tools have allowed a historical, unprecedented, real time epidemiological surveillance and diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, at community and international levels. The nano-based technology has help to predict and detect how this Sarbecovirus is mutating and the severity of the associated COVID-19 disease, thereby assisting the administration and public health services to make decisions and measures for preparedness against the emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 and severe or lethal COVID-19.