Biomolecular interactions with nanoparticles: applications for coronavirus disease 2019

Abstract

Nanoparticles are small particles sized 1-100 nm, which have a large surface-to-volume ratio, allowing efficient adsorption of drugs, proteins, and other chemical compounds. Consequently, functionalized nanoparticles have potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. A variety of nanoparticles have been studied, including those constructed from inorganic materials, biopolymers, and lipids. In this review, we focus on recent work targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Understanding the interactions between coronavirus-specific proteins (such as the spike protein and its host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) with different nanoparticles paves the way to the development of new therapeutics and diagnostics that are urgently needed for the fight against COVID-19, and indeed for related future viral threats that may emerge.

Keywords: COVID-19; Diagnostics; Nanoparticles; Proteins; SARS-CoV-2; Therapeutics.

Graphical abstract

Figure 1

A schematic diagram showing drug loading options in NP targeted drug delivery.

Figure 2

Diagram showing the structural proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Figure 3

Interaction between the ACE2 receptor (blue) and the S protein RBD (red). Inset shows key interacting residues between the ACE2 receptor. The crystal structure was obtained from the Protein Databank (PDB entry 6M0J [38]). The crystal structure was viewed and analyzed using VMD (Visual Molecular Dynamics 1.9.1).