Nanomedicine for the SARS-CoV-2: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects

Abstract

The newly emerged ribonucleic acid (RNA) enveloped human beta-coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection caused the COVID-19 pandemic, severely affects the respiratory system, and may lead to death. Lacking effective diagnostics and therapies made this pandemic challenging to manage since the SARS-CoV-2 transmits via human-to-human, enters via ACE2 and TMPSSR2 receptors, and damages organs rich in host cells, spreads via symptomatic carriers and is prominent in an immune-compromised population. New SARS-CoV-2 informatics (structure, strains, like-cycles, functional sites) motivated bio-pharma experts to investigate novel therapeutic agents that act to recognize, inhibit, and knockdown combinations of drugs, vaccines, and antibodies, have been optimized to manage COVID-19. However, successful targeted delivery of these agents to avoid off-targeting and unnecessary drug ingestion is very challenging. To overcome these obstacles, this mini-review projects nanomedicine technology, a pharmacologically relevant cargo of size within 10 to 200 nm, for site-specific delivery of a therapeutic agent to recognize and eradicate the SARS-CoV-2, and improving the human immune system. Such combinational therapy based on compartmentalization controls the delivery and releases of a drug optimized based on patient genomic profile and medical history. Nanotechnology could help combat COVID-19 via various methods such as avoiding viral contamination and spraying by developing personal protective equipment (PPE) to increase the protection of healthcare workers and produce effective antiviral disinfectants surface coatings capable of inactivating and preventing the virus from spreading. To quickly recognize the infection or immunological response, design highly accurate and sensitive nano-based sensors. Development of new drugs with improved activity, reduced toxicity, and sustained release to the lungs, as well as tissue targets; and development of nano-based immunizations to improve humoral and cellular immune responses. The desired and controlled features of suggested personalized therapeutics, nanomedicine, is a potential therapy to manage COVID-19 successfully. The state-of-the-art nanomedicine, challenges, and prospects of nanomedicine are carefully and critically discussed in this report, which may serve as a key platform for scholars to investigate the role of nanomedicine for higher efficacy to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 viral infection; drug delivery; nanomedicine; personalized COVID-19 management.

Figure 1

Illustration of world’s fatal pandemics [H5N1 (1997, A), SARS (2002, B), H1N1 (2009, C), MARS (2012, D), Ebola (2014, E), ZIKA (2016, F), SARS-CoV-2 (2020, G)], which have affected human lives and economies of the globe (Source: NIH-NIAID).

Figure 2

Mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infects human host cells from an initial spike association with ACE2 and TMPRSS2 (Copyright ACS 2020). Notes: Reprinted with the permission from Chauhan G, Madou MJ, Kalra S, Chopra V, Ghosh D, Martinez-Chapa SO. Nanotechnology for COVID-19: therapeutics and Vaccine Research. ACS Nano. 2020;14(7):7760–7782. Copyright ACS under ACS COVID-19 Subset.

Figure 3

Importance of facial covering for the control of on-going pandemic (Copyright ACS 2020). Notes: Reprinted with the permission from Kaushik AK, Dhau JS, Gohel H, et al. Electrochemical SARS-CoV-2 Sensing at Point-of-Care and Artificial Intelligence for Intelligent COVID-19 Management. ACS Applied Bio Materials. 2020;3(11):7306–7325. Copyright ACS under ACS COVID-19 Subset.

Figure 4

Projected nano-enabled technologies combating against COVID-19.

Figure 5

Projection of a potential drug nanocarriers for stepwise systematic investigation needed for clinical application (from in vitro to in-vivo-clinical trials to FDA approval), suggested by experts.

Figure 6

Schematic presentation of a nanomedicine. Notes: Reprinted with the permission from Kaushik A, Jayant RD, Bhardwaj V, Nair M. Personalized nanomedicine for CNS diseases. Drug Discov Today. 2018;23 (5):1007–1015. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd.

Figure 7

Nano-enabled multi-model approaches to manage targeted diseases. Notes: Reprinted from the publication Tomitaka A, Kaushik A, Kevadiya BD, et al. Surface-engineered multimodal magnetic nanoparticles to manage CNS diseases. Drug Discov Today. 2019;24(3):873–882. Copyright 2019 with the permission from Elsevier.

Figure 8

Schematic illustration of a potential nanomedicine (a combination of an efficient drug nanocarrier and optimized bio-active therapeutic agent) designed to combat against SARS-CoV-2 virus to manage COVID-19 pandemic.