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Layer-by-Layer Assembly of a Polysaccharide "Armor" on the Cell Surface Enabling the Prophylaxis of Virus Infection
Zhiqiang Nie1, Yinghao Li1,2, Xinxin Li3
1Department of Anatomy, National and Regional Engineering Laboratory of Tissue Engineering, State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Vascular Implants, Key Lab for Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering of Chongqing, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
Abstract:
Airborne pathogens, such as the world-spreading severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), cause global epidemics via transmission through the respiratory pathway. It is of great urgency to develop adequate interventions that can protect individuals against future pandemics. This study presents a nasal spray that forms a polysaccharide "armor" on the cell surface through the layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL) method to minimize the risk of virus infection. The nasal spray has two separate components: chitosan and alginate. Harnessing the electrostatic interaction, inhaling the two polysaccharides alternatively enables the assembly of a barrier that reduces virus uptake into the cells. The results showed that this approach has no obvious cellular injury and endows cells with the ability to resist the infection of adenovirus and SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. Such a method can be a potential preventive strategy for protecting the respiratory tract against multiple viruses, especially the upcoming SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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