Researchers at Munich Technical University have developed a method to create small virus traps that can bind viral particles and make them harmless inside the body. The technique relies on the origami of DNA to create self-assembled hollow nanocapsules, which are coated with molecules that will bind the viruses together and prevent their exit. With a viral pandemic currently raging, these technologies should be very welcome for the future.
Effective antiviral drugs are difficult to use for many viral infections, without COVID-19 being an exception. These researchers have developed a new type of antiviral technology that does not rely on small molecule viral inhibitors, but uses a nano-sized viral trap that can swallow and immobilize viral particles within the body.
“Bacteria have a metabolism. We can attack them in different ways, ”said Ulrike Protzer, a researcher involved in the study. “Viruses, on the other hand, do not have their own metabolism, which is why antiviral drugs are almost always directed against a specific enzyme in a single virus. This development takes time. If the idea of simply removing viruses mechanically can be realized, this would be widely applicable and therefore would be a major breakthrough, especially for emerging viruses. “
The technology uses DNA to form the basic blocks of the trap structure, but because the DNA is quite fragile inside the body, the researchers used UV light and polyethylene glycol to stabilize the material before using it. lo. After this treatment, the nanostructures were stable for 24 hours in mouse serum.
The structure consists of 3D triangular plates that can be slotted together. “This way, we can now program the shape and size of the desired objects using the exact shape of the triangular plates,” said Hendrik Dietz, another researcher involved in the study. “Now we can produce objects with until 180 subunits and achieve yields of until 95 per cent. The route there was, however, quite stony, with many iterations. “
To date, researchers have tested viral traps in the lab and shown that they can immobilize hepatitis B virus particles and associated adeno-viruses. “Even a simple half-layer of the right size shows a measurable reduction in virus activity,” Dietz said. “If we put five binding sites for the virus inside, for example suitable antibodies, we will be able to block the virus by 80%, if we incorporate more, we get a complete blockade.”
Here is a short video showing a 3D cryo-EM reconstruction of an open nano-shell:
Study a Materials of nature: Programmable icosahedral shell system for virus capture