B0700 (July 2020)

Nano-enabled solutions against viral infections like COVID-19

Scope This document was created to address a number of questions from the community about how

nanotechnology and nanomaterials may be (or indeed are already) helping to fight viral infections like

Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This document analyses relevant nanotechnological developments to

address virus detection, prevention, protection, mitigation and control measures.

This document is particularly relevant to innovators, researchers, policy makers and funding

managers.

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Table of Contents Scope .................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Terms of usage ................................................................................................................................................... 3

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Applications ................................................................................................................................................... 5

2.1. Nanomedicine and Vaccines ................................................................................................................. 5

2.1.1. Industry developments................................................................................................................. 6

2.1.2. Market information ...................................................................................................................... 7

2.2. Diagnosis: Point of Care tests .............................................................................................................. 10

2.2.1. Industry advances ....................................................................................................................... 10

2.2.2. Scientific advances ..................................................................................................................... 12

2.2.3. Market Information .................................................................................................................... 12

2.3. Masks and Respirators ........................................................................................................................ 13

2.3.1. Market Information .................................................................................................................... 14

2.3.2. Industrial Activity ........................................................................................................................ 15

2.3.3. Scientific Advances ..................................................................................................................... 16

2.4. HEPA filters .......................................................................................................................................... 16

2.4.1. Market Information .................................................................................................................... 17

2.5. Antiviral coatings ................................................................................................................................. 18

2.5.1. Biocidal Release coatings ........................................................................................................... 18

2.5.2. Active contact surface ................................................................................................................ 19

2.5.3. Antiadhesive coating .................................................................................................................. 19

2.5.4. Thermally or mechanically activated release coating ................................................................ 19

2.5.5. Topographically frustrating coating ........................................................................................... 19

2.5.6. Market Information .................................................................................................................... 19

2.6. Antiviral bulk materials ....................................................................................................................... 20

2.6.1. Market Information .................................................................................................................... 21

2.7. Personal hygiene ................................................................................................................................. 21

2.7.1. Market Information .................................................................................................................... 21

3. Useful definitions ......................................................................................................................................... 22

4. Useful Standards .......................................................................................................................................... 23

5. Index ............................................................................................................................................................ 26

Annex A – Not nano-related breakthroughs in vaccine development for COVID-19 ........................................... 27

6. References ................................................................................................................................................... 28

Contact ................................................................................................................................................................. 28

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1. Introduction

As a consequence of the global outbreak of the new coronavirus, known as the 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic and a state of emergency on January 30 2020. In response to this crisis, technological applications and initiatives are multiplying in an attempt to control the situation, provide solutions to patients in an effective way, avoid further spreading of the virus and facilitate the efforts of overworked healthcare workers, while developing new vaccines and trying to minimize the damages.

Despite the global efforts taking place all over the world, there is not specific antiviral agent yet for this new virus. Many different antiviral agents, including repurposed drugs, are under testing in clinical trials to assess their efficacy against the new virus, but the quest for an effective treatment against COVID-19 is still open1. And is not only crucial to guarantee continuous patient care but also to prevent virus transmission, given the evidence that human COVID-19 remains infectious on common touch surface materials2 and airborne infection spread3 attention should be paid also to the development of antiviral and antibacterial surfaces, along with decontamination equipment and technologies, given the high rate of virus transmission.

Figure 1 Transmission channels of SARS-CoV-2.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32326343

Nanotechnology, as a key enabling technology, may offer several technological solutions to challenge the ongoing and future global health emergencies. Νano-enabled products are currently being developed and deployed for the containment, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. An experimental nano-vaccine has become the first vaccine to be tested in a human trial4. The use of nanotechnology in the development of new medicines plays a key role, capable of providing new and innovative

1 M.C.Sportelli, M. Izzi, E.A. Kukushkina et al. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 802. 2 Warnes SL, Little ZR, Keevil CW. 2015. Human coronavirus 229E remains infectious on common touch surface materials. mBio

6(6):e01697-1 3L. Morawska and J. Cao. Environment International 139 (2020) 105730 4 https://statnano.com/news/67522/Moderna-Runs-First-Human-Trial-for-Coronavirus-Vaccine

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medical solutions to address unmet medical needs, such as neutralizing viruses with nanomedicine through approaches such as theranostics, a combination of therapy and diagnosis to fight viruses5.

Moreover, nanotechnology brings great support in the design of contamination-safe equipment in this era of pandemic diseases. For example, metal-loaded nanocomposites are known to be extremely effective in all those cases in which surface contamination must be controlled. As one of the game-changers of the past decade, nanotechnology holds great promise in offering innovative solutions to a wide range of problems regarding the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19, in which nanotechnologists undoubtedly play a key role. The importance of nanotechnology in fighting viruses is currently not explored enough. Technological innovations come along with other key aspects, main legal and regulatory challenges, but also on the key socio-ethical dilemmas that the various uses of these technologies pose when applied in a public-health emergency context such as the current one6. This pandemic represents an excellent opportunity for joint efforts from different disciplines, from scientist to policy makers and regulators, pursuing the deployment of emerging technologies under time pressure.

2. Applications

2.1. Nanomedicine and Vaccines Up to May 2020, no evident treatment or vaccine has been suggested for the treatment of COVID-19 except for some conventionally used medication used to improve the immune system against malaria called Chloroquine7. There is potential that nanoparticles may make a change due to their size and intensified properties induced by the severe increase in surface area to volume ratio. The coronavirus structure reveals size similarities with nanoparticles. The idea is that nanoscale particles, as small as the virus, can interact with spike proteins or bind to them with the consequent disruption of the viral structure through applying electromagnetic radiation mainly infrared light 8 . Nanoparticles are versatile tools to intercept a wide range of pathogens and viruses due to the possibility of surface modification and functionalization, providing high degree of specificity, with many reports in the literature (1). It is also said that nanovaccines are able to be applied locally – unlike the conventional vaccines that act on the entire body. Nanovaccines are also thought to be more efficient (since they act on both humoral and cell-mediated immune response) and be able to trigger body’s immune system to kill or stop the spread of the virus. The nanoemulsions (this term is used loosely as in this context it refers to droplets of approximately 400nm diameter) are said to be the most promising delivery mechanisms.

5 https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news2/newsid=54710.php 6 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/stoa/en/document/EPRS_IDA(2020)641543 7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32074550 8 https://nanografi.com/blog/covid19-and-nanotechnology

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5. Index

2019-nCoV, 1

2D materials, 15

2nd Generation Rapid COVID-19 Antibody Tests, 10

3D printers, 15

3D structure, 16

activated release coating, 19

Active contact surface, 18

aerosols, 13, 24

Antiadhesive coating, 18

antimicrobial, 13, 15, 19, 20, 25

antiviral, 4, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 27

Biocidal Release coatings, 18

Chloroquine, 5

Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, 6

coatings, 2, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

coronavirus. See COVID-19

Coronavirus. See 2019-nCoV

COVID-19, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20,

21, 26, See 2019-nCoV

DNA, 11, 26

ethanol, 17

face covering, 14

FDA, 26

FFP2, 15

FFP3, 15

foam masks, 13

Graphene Oxide, 16

HEPA. See High-Efficiency Particulate Air

High-Efficiency Particulate Air. See HEPA

HIV-1, 21

immune system, 9

Investigational New Drug, 6

ISO, 23

key enabling technology, 4

KN-95, 13

lipid, 6

micro-organisms, 24

N-95, 13

nanocomposites, 21

Nano-enabled, 23

Nano-enhanced, 23

nanofabrics, 15

nanofibers, 16

Nanofibre, 23

Nanomaterial, 22

nanomedicine, 4, 6

nanoparticles, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 26

Nanoscale, 22

Nanotechnology, 4, 23

nanovaccination, 8, 9

nano-vaccine, 4, 9

Nanovaccine, 23

National Institutes of Health, 6

non-woven fabric, 16

Phase 1, 6, 26

plastics, 24

quaternary-ammonium-salt-based disinfectants, 17

respirators, 13

Respirators, 12

sodium hypochlorite, 17

surgical masks, 13

Technical Committee, 25

textile products, 24

theranostics, 4

thermal activation, 19

Topographically frustrating coating, 19

WHO, 4, 7, 10

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6. References

1. Nanovaccines-an overview. Bhupinder Singh Sekhon, Vikrant Saluja,. 1, 2011, International

Journal of Pharmaceutical Frontier Research, Vol. 1, pp. 101-109 .

2. Editorial. The race against COVID-19. Nature Nanotechnology . 2020, Vol. 15, pages 239–240.

3. Tavakoli A, Ataei-Pirkooh A, Mm Sadeghi G, Bokharaei-Salim F, Sahrapour P, Kiani SJ.

Polyethylene glycol-coated zinc oxide nanoparticle: an efficient nano weapon to fight against herpes

simplex virus type 1. Nanomedicine. 2018, Vol. 13, 21 p 2675–90.

4. Hang, X., Peng, H., Song, H., Qi. Z., Miao, X., Xu, W.,. Antiviral activity of cuprous oxide

nanoparticles against Hepatitis C Virus in vitro. J Virol Methods. 2015, Vol. 222, p 150-157.

5. Galdiero, S., Falanga, A., Vitiello, M., Cantisani, M., Marra, V., Galdiero, M.,. Silver nanoparticles

as potential antiviral agents. Molecules. 2011, Vol. 16, (10) p 8894-8918.

6. Elechiguerra, J.L., Burt, J.L., Morones, J.R., Camacho-Bragado, A., Gao, X., Lara, H.H., Yacaman,

M.J. Interaction of silver nanoparticles with HIV-1. J Nanobiotechnology. 2005, Vol. 3, (6) p6.

7. Fujimori, Y., Sato, T., Hayata, T., Nagao, T., Nakayama, M., Nakayama T., Sugamata, R., Kazuo

Suzuki, K.,. Novel Antiviral Characteristics of Nanosized Copper(I) Iodide Particles Showing

Inactivation Activity against 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus. Applied and Environmental

Microbiology. 2011, p 951-955.

8. ISO. ISO/TS 80004-1:2015 Nanotechnologies — Vocabulary — Part 1: Core terms. Geneva :

International Standards Organisation, 2015.

9. —. ISO/TS 80004-2:2015 Nanotechnologies — Vocabulary — Part 2: Nano-objects. Geneva : ISO,

2015. TS 80004-2.

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