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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
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Engineering Antiviral Agents via Surface Plasmon Resonance
Published on: June 14, 2022
Virus-Mediated Self-Assembly of Functional Cyclodextrins for Antiviral Inhibition
Pedro J Hernando1, Laora Boulo1, Léonid Lavnevich1
1Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, IPCM, Paris, France.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|July 15, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a novel adaptive inhibitor for viral infections using self-assembling cyclodextrins (CDs) functionalized with sialic acid (SA). This supramolecular assembly effectively inhibits SARS-CoV-2 by targeting viral spike proteins, offering a new antiviral platform.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Virology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Cyclodextrins (CDs) are known for host-guest self-assembly.
- Viral surface proteins, like SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, are key targets for antiviral strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and synthesize adaptive supramolecular assemblies for inhibiting viral infections.
- To investigate the mechanism of virus-mediated supramolecular polymerization.
- To evaluate the antiviral efficacy and cytotoxicity of functionalized CDs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of sialic acid (SA)-functionalized self-assembling cyclodextrins (CDs).
- Cellular infection assays to assess inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 cytopathic effect (CPE).
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) for structural and mechanistic studies.
Main Results:
- SA-functionalized self-assembling CDs inhibited SARS-CoV-2-induced CPE without cytotoxicity.
- Viral surfaces mediated supramolecular polymer growth through ligand-receptor recognition.
- Inhibition was effective against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, demonstrating adaptive assembly.
Conclusions:
- Virus-mediated supramolecular polymerization of functional CDs is a potent and adaptive antiviral strategy.
- Both self-assembly and specific ligand recognition are crucial for antiviral activity.
- Heteropolymer formation with optimized ligand spacing enhances antiviral efficacy.
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