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Review
. 2022 Jul 24;12(15):2547.
doi: 10.3390/nano12152547.

Progress in Antiviral Fullerene Research

Piao-Yang Xu  1 , Xiao-Qing Li  2 , Wei-Guang Chen  2 , Lin-Long Deng  3 , Yuan-Zhi Tan  1 , Qianyan Zhang  1 , Su-Yuan Xie  1 , Lan-Sun Zheng  1
Affiliations
Review

Progress in Antiviral Fullerene Research

Piao-Yang Xu et al. Nanomaterials (Basel). .

Abstract

Unlike traditional small molecule drugs, fullerene is an all-carbon nanomolecule with a spherical cage structure. Fullerene exhibits high levels of antiviral activity, inhibiting virus replication in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we systematically summarize the latest research regarding the different types of fullerenes investigated in antiviral studies. We discuss the unique structural advantage of fullerenes, present diverse modification strategies based on the addition of various functional groups, assess the effect of structural differences on antiviral activity, and describe the possible antiviral mechanism. Finally, we discuss the prospective development of fullerenes as antiviral drugs.

Keywords: antivirus; fullerene; nanodrug; water-soluble fullerene derivatives.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Possible interaction between fullerene molecules and coronavirus, in which fullerene molecules inhibit virus replication.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The first example of a water-soluble fullerene derivative (1) used as a virus inhibitor.
Figure 3
Figure 3
PM3-minimized structures of compounds 2 and 3. Adapted with permission from Ref. [52]. Copyright 2000 American Chemical Society.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Computer-simulated interactions between compound 3 and HIVP. (a) Accommodation of compound 3 in the cavity of HIVP. (b) Closer view of the complex of compound 3 and HIVP. Adapted with permission from Ref. [52]. Copyright 2000 American Chemical Society.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Fullerene amino acid derivatives (4) and (5) as potential inhibitors of HIV-1 cell replication.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Synthesis route of fullerene amino ester derivative (8).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Synthesis route for fullerene penta-N-methyl piperazine salt (10).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Structure diagram of fullerene pyrrolidine derivatives (11–23).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Structure diagram of fullerene pyrrolidine derivatives (24–28).
Figure 10
Figure 10
Structure diagram of fullerene pyrrolidine derivatives (29–41).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Chemical structures of the cationic N,N-dimethyl [70]Fullerene pyrrolidine iodide derivatives (42–44).
Figure 12
Figure 12
Structural diagram of carboxylic fullerene derivatives (45–46).
Figure 13
Figure 13
Schematic diagram of synthetic route of carboxylic fullerene derivative (48).
Figure 14
Figure 14
Schematic diagram of synthetic routes of carboxylic fullerene derivatives 49 and 50.
Figure 15
Figure 15
Structure diagram of polycarboxylic fullerene acid derivatives (51–53).
Figure 16
Figure 16
Structure diagram of fullerenol. Oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen atoms are marked in red, gray, and white, respectively.
Figure 17
Figure 17
Structure diagram of glycofullerene (54). Adapted with permission from Ref. [78]. Copyright 2013 American Chemical Society.
Figure 18
Figure 18
Synthesis of glycofullerenes 56–58 [45]. Adapted with permission from Ref [45]. Copyright 2015 Springer Nature.
Figure 19
Figure 19
Structure diagram of nanoglycofullerene conjugate 61 [83]. Adapted with permission from Ref. [83]. Copyright 2018 American Chemical Society.
Figure 20
Figure 20
α-Cyclodextrin-C60 conjugate (62) [84]. Adapted with permission from Ref. [84]. Copyright 2012 Elsevier.
Figure 21
Figure 21
The structure of the fullerene liposome complex [87].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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