The use of nanotechnology in the fight against viruses: A critical review

Toxicity of VO2 micro/nanoparticles to nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) has been used in a variety of products due to its outstanding phase transition properties. However, as potential heavy metal contaminants, the environmental hazards and risks of VO2 should be systematically investigated. Biological nitrogen fixation is one of the most dominant processes in biogeochemical cycle, which is associated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. In this study, we reported the environmental bio-effects of VO2 micro/nanoparticles on the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii. VO2 at 10 and 30 mg/L caused severe hazards to A. vinelandii, such as cell apoptosis, oxidative damage, physical damage, genotoxicity, and the loss of nitrogen fixation activity. The up-regulated differentially expressed genes of A. vinelandii were related to stress response, and the down-regulated genes were mainly related to energy metabolism. Surprisingly, VO2 of 10 mg/L decreased the nif gene expression but elevated the vnf gene expression, which enhanced the ability of A. vinelandii to reduce acetylene in anaerobic environment. In addition, under tested conditions, VO2 nanoparticles exhibited insignificantly higher toxicity than VO2 microparticles.

Nanotechnology's frontier in combatting infectious and inflammatory diseases: prevention and treatment

Inflammation-associated diseases encompass a range of infectious diseases and non-infectious inflammatory diseases, which continuously pose one of the most serious threats to human health, attributed to factors such as the emergence of new pathogens, increasing drug resistance, changes in living environments and lifestyles, and the aging population. Despite rapid advancements in mechanistic research and drug development for these diseases, current treatments often have limited efficacy and notable side effects, necessitating the development of more effective and targeted anti-inflammatory therapies. In recent years, the rapid development of nanotechnology has provided crucial technological support for the prevention, treatment, and detection of inflammation-associated diseases. Various types of nanoparticles (NPs) play significant roles, serving as vaccine vehicles to enhance immunogenicity and as drug carriers to improve targeting and bioavailability. NPs can also directly combat pathogens and inflammation. In addition, nanotechnology has facilitated the development of biosensors for pathogen detection and imaging techniques for inflammatory diseases. This review categorizes and characterizes different types of NPs, summarizes their applications in the prevention, treatment, and detection of infectious and inflammatory diseases. It also discusses the challenges associated with clinical translation in this field and explores the latest developments and prospects. In conclusion, nanotechnology opens up new possibilities for the comprehensive management of infectious and inflammatory diseases.

Polymeric coating doped with nanomaterials for functional impact on different substrates

Microorganism contamination on substrate surfaces is arousing increasingly concern as a serious health issue. In this research work, antimicrobial water-based acrylic paint containing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) was prepared using the facile Ag+ in situ reduction process, in which AgNO3 and reducing agent sodium acrylate were refluxed with acrylic polymeric solution to obtain an antimicrobial and antifungal polymeric material for substrate coating. The Synthesized antimicrobial and antifungal water-based acrylic paint were characterized by different spectroscopic techniques. The FTIR and UV-Visible spectroscopic analyses were investigated to study the water-based acrylic paint structure as well as the significant impact of Ag NPs on the paint matrix. The UV-Visible and FTIR Spectra peak shows successful integration of Ag NPs within the polymer matrix without altering the core functional groups of the paint. The water based acrylic paint exhibited a strong antimicrobial activity, revealed substantial inhibition zones against all four strains of Gram negative represented by Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Gram-positive represented by Bacillus cereus. The coated film on substrate also shows great inhibition zone which exhibit a strong antimicrobial activity. Moreover, water based acrylic paint also exhibited a great antifungal activity, revealed substantial zone of inhibition against the Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus and Rhizopus arrhizus fungal strains. Also, the coated film showed the best adhesion at 50% and 80% solution of polymeric coating sample as compared to pure or very dilute sample coating. This innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize varies industries from healthcare to construction.

Entangling of Peptide Nanofibers Reduces the Invasiveness of SARS-CoV-2

The viral spike (S) protein on the surface of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the host cells, facilitating its entry and infection. Here, functionalized nanofibers targeting the S protein with peptide sequences of IRQFFKK, WVHFYHK and NSGGSVH, which are screened from a high-throughput one-bead one-compound screening strategy, are designed and prepared. The flexible nanofibers support multiple binding sites and efficiently entangle SARS-CoV-2, forming a nanofibrous network that blocks the interaction between the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the ACE2 on host cells, and efficiently reduce the invasiveness of SARS-CoV-2. In summary, nanofibers entangling represents a smart nanomedicine for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2.

Cellular, Molecular, Pharmacological, and Nano-Formulation Aspects of Thymoquinone-A Potent Natural Antiviral Agent

The goal of an antiviral agent research is to find an antiviral drug that reduces viral growth without harming healthy cells. Transformations of the virus, new viral strain developments, the resistance of viral pathogens, and side effects are the current challenges in terms of discovering antiviral drugs. The time has come and it is now essential to discover a natural antiviral agent that has the potential to destroy viruses without causing resistance or other unintended side effects. The pharmacological potency of thymoquinone (TQ) against different communicable and non-communicable diseases has been proven by various studies, and TQ is considered to be a safe antiviral substitute. Adjunctive immunomodulatory effects in addition to the antiviral potency of TQ makes it a major compound against viral infection through modulating the production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species, decreasing the cytokine storm, and inhibiting endothelial dysfunction. Nevertheless, TQ's low oral bioavailability, short half-life, poor water solubility, and conventional formulation are barriers to achieving its optimal pharmacologic benefits. Nano-formulation proposes numerous ways to overcome these obstacles through a small particle size, a big surface area, and a variety of surface modifications. Nano-based pharmaceutical innovations to combat viral infections using TQ are a promising approach to treating surmounting viral infections.

The Influence of Titanium Oxide Nanoparticles and UV Radiation on the Electrical Properties of PEDOT:PSS-Coated Cotton Fabrics

With the rapid growth of electronic textiles, there is a need for highly conductive fabrics containing fewer conductive materials, allowing them to maintain flexibility, low cost and light weight. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), is one of the most promising conductive materials for the production of conductive fabrics due to its excellent properties such as solubility, relatively high conductivity, and market availability. Moreover, its electrical conductivity can be enhanced by polar solvents or acid treatment. The aim of this work was to fabricate conductive cotton fabrics with a small fixed amount of PEDOT:PSS and to investigate how titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles affect the electrical, thermal and structural properties of PEDOT:PSS-coated cotton fabrics. The change in electrical conductivity of the nanocomposite fabric was then related to morphological analysis by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. We found that the sheet resistance of the nanocomposite cotton fabric depends on the TiO₂ concentration, with a minimum value of 2.68 Ω/□ at 2.92 wt% TiO₂. The effect of UV light on the sheet resistance of the nanocomposite cotton fabric was also investigated; we found that UV irradiation leads to an increase in conductivity at an irradiation time of 10 min, after which the conductivity decreases with increasing irradiation time. In addition, the electrical behavior of the nanocomposite cotton fabric as a function of temperature was investigated. The nanocomposite fabrics exhibited metallic behavior at high-TiO₂ concentrations of 40.20 wt% and metallic semiconducting behavior at low and medium concentrations of 11.33 and 28.50 wt%, respectively. Interestingly, cotton fabrics coated with nanocomposite possessed excellent washing durability even after seven steam washes.

Nanosystems for gene therapy targeting brain damage caused by viral infections

Several human pathogens can cause long-lasting neurological damage. Despite the increasing clinical knowledge about these conditions, most still lack efficient therapeutic interventions. Gene therapy (GT) approaches comprise strategies to modify or adjust the expression or function of a gene, thus providing therapy for human diseases. Since recombinant nucleic acids used in GT have physicochemical limitations and can fail to reach the desired tissue, viral and non-viral vectors are applied to mediate gene delivery. Although viral vectors are associated to high levels of transfection, non-viral vectors are safer and have been further explored. Different types of nanosystems consisting of lipids, polymeric and inorganic materials are applied as non-viral vectors. In this review, we discuss potential targets for GT intervention in order to prevent neurological damage associated to infectious diseases as well as the role of nanosized non-viral vectors as agents to help the selective delivery of these gene-modifying molecules. Application of non-viral vectors for delivery of GT effectors comprise a promising alternative to treat brain inflammation induced by viral infections.

Nanomedicine: New Frontiers in Fighting Microbial Infections

Microbes have dominated life on Earth for the past two billion years, despite facing a variety of obstacles. In the 20th century, antibiotics and immunizations brought about these changes. Since then, microorganisms have acquired resistance, and various infectious diseases have been able to avoid being treated with traditionally developed vaccines. Antibiotic resistance and pathogenicity have surpassed antibiotic discovery in terms of importance over the course of the past few decades. These shifts have resulted in tremendous economic and health repercussions across the board for all socioeconomic levels; thus, we require ground-breaking innovations to effectively manage microbial infections and to provide long-term solutions. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors have been radically altered as a result of nanomedicine, and this trend is now spreading to the antibacterial research community. Here, we examine the role that nanomedicine plays in the prevention of microbial infections, including topics such as diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, pharmaceutical administration, and immunizations, as well as the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Continuous inactivation of human adenoviruses in water by a novel g-C3N4/WO3/biochar memory photocatalyst under light-dark cycles

Viruses transmitted by water have raised considerable concerns for public health. A novel memory photocatalyst of g-C₃N₄/WO₃/biochar was successfully developed for effective inactivation of human adenoviruses (HAdVs) in water, in which WO₃ as an electron-storage reservoir and biochar as an electron shuttle is employed to synergistically improve photocatalytic activity of g-C₃N₄. The tertiary composite exhibited continuous photocatalytic performance for HAdVs inactivation without regrowth in water under light-dark cycles, i.e., ∼3.9-log inactivation under 6-h visible light irradiation and an additional ∼1.1-log inactivation under the following 6-h dark. The enhanced virucidal mechanism was attributed to the heterojunction formation and especially the electron-transfer pathway switching via biochar incorporation, contributing to electron transfer and storage in the light phase and then electron release in the dark phase, along with obviously increased generation of the virus-killing •OH radicals under light-dark cycles.

Mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 by Using Transition Metal Nanozeolites and Quaternary Ammonium Compounds as Antiviral Agents in Suspensions and Soft Fabric Materials

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has demonstrated the need for novel, affordable, and efficient reagents to help reduce viral transmission, especially in high-risk environments including medical treatment facilities, close quarters, and austere settings. We examined transition-metal nanozeolite suspensions and quaternary ammonium compounds as an antiviral surface coating for various textile materials.

Methods

Zeolites are crystalline porous aluminosilicate materials, with the ability of ion-exchanging different cations. Nanozeolites (30 nm) were synthesized and then ion-exchanged with silver, zinc and copper ions. Benzalkonium nitrate (BZN) was examined as the quaternary ammonium ion (quat). Suspensions of these materials were tested for antiviral activity towards SARS-CoV-2 using plaque assay and immunostaining. Suspensions of the nanozeolite and quat were deposited on polyester and cotton fabrics and the ability of these textiles towards neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 was examined.

Results

We hypothesized that transition metal ion containing zeolites, particularly silver and zinc (AM30) and silver and copper (AV30), would be effective in reducing the infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Additionally, AM30 and AV30 antiviral potency was tested when combined with a quaternary ammonium carrier, BZN. Our results indicate that exposure of SARS-CoV-2 to AM30 and/or AV30 suspensions reduced viral loads with time and exhibited dose-dependence. Antiviral activities of the combination of zeolite and BZN compositions were significantly enhanced. When used in textiles, AM30 and AV30-coated cotton and polyester fabrics alone or in combination with BZN exhibited significant antiviral properties, which were maintained even after various stress tests, including washes, SARS-CoV-2-repeated exposures, or treatments with soil-like materials.

Conclusion

This study shows the efficacy of transition metal nanozeolite formulations as novel antiviral agents and establishes that nanozeolite with silver and zinc ions (AM30) and nanozeolite with silver and copper ions (AV30) when combined with benzalkonium nitrate (BZN) quickly and continuously inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in suspension and on fabric materials.

Nano-antivirals: A comprehensive review

Nanoparticles can be used as inhibitory agents against various microorganisms, including bacteria, algae, archaea, fungi, and a huge class of viruses. The mechanism of action includes inhibiting the function of the cell membrane/stopping the synthesis of the cell membrane, disturbing the transduction of energy, producing toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibiting or reducing RNA and DNA production. Various nanomaterials, including different metallic, silicon, and carbon-based nanomaterials and nanoarchitectures, have been successfully used against different viruses. Recent research strongly agrees that these nanoarchitecture-based virucidal materials (nano-antivirals) have shown activity in the solid state. Therefore, they are very useful in the development of several products, such as fabric and high-touch surfaces. This review thoroughly and critically identifies recently developed nano-antivirals and their products, nano-antiviral deposition methods on various substrates, and possible mechanisms of action. By considering the commercial viability of nano-antivirals, recommendations are made to develop scalable and sustainable nano-antiviral products with contact-killing properties.

Synthesis of a Ag/rGO nanocomposite using Bos taurus indicus urine for nitroarene reduction and biological activity

The present study develops a unique in situ synthesis of a catalytically and biologically active Ag/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite. Herein, we employed Bos taurus indicus urine to synthesize a Ag/rGO nanocomposite in an environmentally benign, facile, economical, and sustainable manner. The elemental composition analysis reveals the presence of Ag, O and C elements. The scanning electron micrograph shows the formation of spherical silver in nanoform whereas rGO is found to be flake shaped with a wrinkled nature. The synthesized nanomaterial and its composite shows a positive catalytic effect in simple organic transformation for the reduction of nitroarene compounds. Investigations were conducted into the catalytic effectiveness of the prepared nanomaterials for diverse nitroarene reduction. Then, using NaBH₄ at 25 °C, the catalytic roles of Ag and the Ag/rGO nano-catalyst were assessed towards the catalytic reduction of several environmental pollutants such as 2-, 3- and 4-nitroaniline and 4-nitrophenol into their respective amino compounds. To test their catalytic performance, bio-mimetically synthesized Ag NPs were thermally treated at 200 °C and compared with the Ag/rGO nanocomposite. Furthermore, biomedical applications such as the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the as-prepared nanomaterials were investigated in this study.

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

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.