Metal Nanoparticles against Viruses: Possibilities to Fight SARS-CoV-2
Marcelly Chue-Gonçalves,
Giovana N. Pereira,
Lígia C. Faccin-Galhardi,
Renata K. T. Kobayashi,
Gerson Nakazato
Affiliations
Marcelly Chue-Gonçalves
Laboratory of Basic and Applied Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Center, Londrina State University, Londrina 86057-970, Brazil
Giovana N. Pereira
Laboratory of Basic and Applied Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Center, Londrina State University, Londrina 86057-970, Brazil
Lígia C. Faccin-Galhardi
Laboratory of Virology, Department of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Center, Londrina State University, Londrina 86057-970, Brazil
Renata K. T. Kobayashi
Laboratory of Basic and Applied Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Center, Londrina State University, Londrina 86057-970, Brazil
Gerson Nakazato
Laboratory of Basic and Applied Bacteriology, Department of Microbiology, Biological Sciences Center, Londrina State University, Londrina 86057-970, Brazil
In view of the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, the research community is focusing on development of diagnostics, treatment, and vaccines to halt or reverse this scenario. Although there are already various vaccines available, adaptive mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome can alter its pathogenic potential and, at the same time, increase the difficulty of developing drugs or immunization by vaccines. Nanotechnology carries a potential to act in all stages in fighting this viral disease, with several possibilities of strategies such as applying nanoparticles directly as antivirals in delivery systems against these viruses or incorporating them in materials, with power of achievement in therapeutics, vaccines and prevention. In this paper, we review and bring insights of recent studies using metal nanocomposites as antivirals against coronavirus and structurally similar viruses.
