Biomedical Science to Tackle the COVID-19 Pandemic: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) pandemic emerged at the end of 2019, and was caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has resulted in an unprecedented health and economic crisis worldwide. One key aspect, compared to other recent pandemics, is the level of urgency, which has started a race for finding adequate answers. Solutions for efficient prevention approaches, rapid, reliable, and high throughput diagnostics, monitoring, and safe therapies are needed. Research across the world has been directed to fight against COVID-19. Biomedical science has been presented as a possible area for combating the SARS-CoV-2 virus due to the unique challenges raised by the pandemic, as reported by epidemiologists, immunologists, and medical doctors, including COVID-19's survival, symptoms, protein surface composition, and infection mechanisms. While the current knowledge about the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still limited, various (old and new) biomedical approaches have been developed and tested. Here, we review the current status and future perspectives of biomedical science in the context of COVID-19, including nanotechnology, prevention through vaccine engineering, diagnostic, monitoring, and therapy. This review is aimed at discussing the current impact of biomedical science in healthcare for the management of COVID-19, as well as some challenges to be addressed.

Keywords: clinical trials; diagnostics; nanomedicine; prevention; treatment; vaccines.

Figure 1

Coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) timeline highlighting the most striking events from December 2019 to July 2020.

Figure 2

Dissemination and use of research about COVID-19: research and development and access to patents.

Figure 3

Priority medical devices for COVID-19 prevention and treatment. (A) Face masks are the most used protection equipment in the general population, but for frontline health workers, special filter masks should be used to prevent infection. (B) Face shields, gloves, filter respirators, plastic boots, protection goggles, and hospital gowns are recommended for medical staff members. (C) Mechanical ventilators are priority devices for the intensive care unit, but other devices, such as blood filtration devices, have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use, to avoid complications due to an excess of cytokines in patients with an overloaded immune response. Most of these devices have been replicated by professionals and volunteers, with 3D models made available for the general public to meet the demand.

Figure 4

Summary of principal mask coatings based on nanoparticles to prevent pathogen adhesion to surgical masks.

Figure 5

Principal coatings based on nanotechnology to prevent surface contamination by viruses and other pathogens.

Figure 6

Working principle of SARS-COV-2 Respi-Strip©. Reproduced from Reference [201], under the Creative Commons Attribution License.

Figure 7

A generic cycle (sensogram) for an antigen assay including: (1) the baseline signal with no antigens present; (2) the association stage where antigens bind to the antibody; (3) the dissociation stage where some antigens are dislodged with a constant rate; and (4) the regeneration stage where the antigens are removed by spiking with pH generating the new baseline. Adapted from Ref. [210] with written permission of Dr. Richard B.M. Schasfoort.

Figure 8

Real-time response (cycle) of Ag-conjugated nanosensor for a typical carbohydrate-binding protein at (A) 16 nm out-of plane height, (B) 25 nm out-of plane height, and (C) 50 nm out-of plane height from. Reproduced from Reference [216] with permission from Elsevier.

Figure 9

Working principle of SARS-CoV-2 sensor based on two-dimensional (2D)-surface Au nanoislands conjugated with thiolated cDNA acting as the capture probe: once DNA hybridization takes place owing to the thermoplasmonic effect, the induced Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) response is correlated to the concentration of the targeted sequences of SARS-CoV-2. Adapted from Reference [212] with permission from the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Figure 10

COVID-19 field-effect transistor biosensor: (A) working principle; (B) specificity to SARS-CoV-2; (C) current response as a function of antigen concentration; and (D) correlation curve between current response and antigen concentration. Adapted from Reference [238] with permission from the American Chemical Society.

Figure 11

Block diagram for computational modeling in antibody-antigen docking.

Figure 12

Main applications of information technology in combating COVID-19.

Figure 13

Different design strategies for new vaccine candidates based on nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA, viral vectors of different origins, peptide sequences or the antigen of the inactivated COVID virus.