Fig. 4: Materials science in the treatment and vaccination of viral diseases.
a | Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coated with long and flexible moieties of undecanesulfonic acid (MUS) show viricidal activity against heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG)-binding viruses, owing to the generation of high forces (~190 pN), which irreversibly deform the virus; by contrast, 3-mercaptoethylsulfonate (MES)-coated AuNPs are not antiviral because of the short molecule length. b | Nasal delivery of inactivated H1N1 influenza virus and pulmonary surfactant guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate (PS-GAMP; an activator of stimulator of interferon genes (STING)) leads to the stimulation of dendritic cell (DC) maturation, antibody generation and, subsequently, to a CD8+ T cell and tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cell response, generating broad protection against seasonal influenza B virus (IBV), H3N2, H5N1 and H7N9 influenza viruses. c | Lipid nanoparticles can be used for the delivery of a Zika virus pre-membrane and envelope (ZIKV prM-E)-encoding mRNA vaccine against the Zika virus. Delivering a ZIKV prM-E fusion loop mutant-encoding mRNA diminishes the generation of cross-reactive antibodies that promote Dengue virus infection. d | During extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, venous blood is drained from the body, oxygenated by fresh gas (the blender modulates the ratio between air and oxygen) using a gas-exchange device and then returned to the body. AEC, alveolar epithelial cell. Panel a reprinted from ref.60, Springer Nature Limited. Panel b from ref.84, Herold, S. & Sander, L.-E. Toward a universal flu vaccine. Science 367, 852–853 (2020). Redrawn with permission from AAAS. Panel c reprinted with permission from ref.89, Elsevier. Panel d from ref.95, N. Engl. J. Med. Brodie, D. & Bacchetta, M. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for ARDS in adults. 365, 1905–1914. Copyright © (2011) Massachusetts Medical Society. Reprinted with permission from Massachusetts Medical Society.
