Biology and nanotechnology are getting closer to each other every day.

The next confirmation of this rapprochement is the development of Swiss researchers. It's about nanoparticles that can detect viruses; In the future, they can even destroy them..

When a virus enters the human body, its immune system responds to the intrusion of an "uninvited guest". This reaction generates a complex chain of events that lead to the production of antibodies, different for each specific virus.

Depending on the speed and effectiveness of this reaction, three scenarios are possible: the virus is completely destroyed before it causes damage to the body; the virus is eliminated after causing the body no critical damage; in the worst case, the virus spreads uncontrolled throughout the body.

One way to combat a viral infection is to develop "false antibodies". They can be used in two ways: to detect the infection and to suppress it. The second option requires the development of a sufficient volume of antibodies.

It is over the second scenario that Patrick Shahgaldian works with colleagues from the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland. They offer a relatively simple solution. First you need to find the infection-causing virus, then "print" its copy using a nanoparticle. Finally, applying the resulting template, you need to "lure" the virus into it.

To create a nanoparticle, you need to go through several stages. Step one: bind the virus to a quartz nanoparticle (SNP), using special chemical compounds (too toxic, unsuitable for use in the human body). Step two: a quartz nanoparticle is coated with a layer of polymer (organosiloxane). After the virus is printed in this polymer layer, it is removed by ultrasound.

After adjusting the thickness of the polymer level, the researchers tested the resulting patterns in a virus-infected human blood solution. At the end of the 30-minute exposure, 88% of the viruses "caught" in the trap, which was not prevented by their low concentration of 65 picomoles. In aqueous solution, the efficiency of virus removal was even higher.

These particles-traps are initially planned to be used as a diagnostic tool that will search for viruses in the human body. Up to this point, it is necessary to conduct a number of clinical trials that will determine whether the impact of a large number of nanoparticles is harmful to the body.

The next step will be the use of nanoparticles as a therapeutic agent. To this end, a number of additional developments are to be implemented that will ensure their production on an industrial scale.

medbe. en.

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