New Biomaterials Could Boost Vaccines or Self-sterilise PPE
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science describe two technologies currently being researched that could be of great benefit in fighting viruses.
These technologies could enhance the effectiveness of vaccines, and also make surfaces destructive to viruses.
“It is important not just in terms of COVID,” explained author Kaushik Chatterjee. “We’ve seen SARS, and MERS, and Ebola, and a lot of other viral infections that have come and gone. COVID has, of course, taken a different turn altogether. Here, we wanted to see how biomaterials could be useful.”
The technologies combine the field of biomaterials, which are designed to interact with biological systems, along with nanotechnology, where structures are engineered on a tiny scale. Biomaterials have been used for dental implants and joint replacements, while nanotechnology has been harnessed for drug delivery systems.
One application the authors describe is the combination of nanotechnology and biomaterial could be used to prepare the immune system to recognise vaccine antigens.
“It is a means of stimulating the immune cells which produce antibodies during the vaccination,” explained author Sushma Kumari. “It is like a helper, like priming the cells. Now, the moment they see the protein, the cells are more responsive to it and would be secreting more antibodies.”
Another technology application is surfaces that disinfect themselves. By putting an electrical charge onto the surfaces, they could be made into a hostile coating that damages or destroys virus particles when they fall onto them. These surfaces could be used for PPEs and high-touch items such as doorknobs. This would save considerable time, effort and expense in regularly disinfecting surfaces with chemicals or UV irradiation. A similar existing technology is the use of silver nanoparticles as antibacterial medical device coatings.
This technology is very much in its early stages, the researchers stressed. Research needs to be done on which biomaterials are suitable for fighting viruses, and the solution for one disease may not be applicable to another.
Source: Medical Xpress
Journal information: “Biomaterials-based formulations and surfaces to combat viral infectious diseases” APL Bioengineering, DOI: 10.1063/5.0029486
