Harnessing biomaterials for therapeutic strategies against COVID-19

Abstract

With the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the world is experiencing a profound human health crisis. The number of infections and deaths due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to increase every minute, pinpointing major shortcomings in our ability to prevent viral outbreaks. Although several COVID-19 vaccines have been recently approved for emergency use, therapeutic options remain limited, and their long-term potency has yet to be validated. Biomaterials science has a pivotal role to play in pushing the boundaries of emerging technologies for antiviral research and treatment. In this perspective, we discuss how biomaterials can be harnessed to develop accurate COVID-19 infection models, enhance antiviral drug delivery, foster new antiviral strategies, and boost vaccine efficacy. These efforts will not only contribute to stop or mitigate the current pandemic but will also provide unorthodox platforms to understand, prevent, and protect us from future viral outbreaks.

Fig. 1

Leveraging biomaterials to improve antiviral therapeutics. a Schematic of synthetic scaffolds with chemically defined features and tunable biological, mechanical, and physical properties to support organoid formation and potentially develop more accurate viral infection models (reproduced and modified with permission from Aisenbrey et al. [34]). b Schematic highlighting engineered nanodecoys displaying angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and cytokine receptors against COVID-19. Cellular membrane nanovesicles from genetically edited 293T cells expressing ACE2 and THP-1 cells (human monocytic cell line) were fused and used to protect host cells by neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and delivering inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and GM-CSF (reproduced and modified with permission from Rao et al. [35]). c Illustration describing the development and optimization of NPs loaded with ivermectin (IVM) for oral administration of antiviral drugs. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-b-polyethylene glycol (PLGA-b-PEG)–based NPs were coated with the antibody Fc fragment to target epithelial cells and used to carry poorly water-soluble drugs and increase their half-life in circulation while minimizing toxicity (reproduced and modified with permission from Surnar et al. [36])

Fig. 2

Harnessing biomaterials to boost COVID-19 vaccines. Scaffolds can be designed to (1) sustain the release of immunomodulatory factors to promote dendritic cell (DC) recruitment and (2) improve local antigen uptake. Scaffolds that produce oxygen improve immune cell activation so that (3) activated, antigen-loaded DCs would migrate to draining lymph nodes to initiate the activation of antigen-specific T cells and B cells. Furthermore, protein antigens and adjuvants released from the scaffold would also drain to the lymph nodes, leading to local B cell and DC activation. (4) A subset of activated B cells would differentiate into plasma cells that produce large quantities of SARS-CoV-2-binding antibodies. (5) A fraction of these antibodies would be neutralizing antibodies and exert their inhibitory activity by abrogating binding of the virus to the ACE2 receptor (reproduced and modified with permission from Colombani et al. [93])