5 minute read
Development of nanomedicine strategies to target coronavirus
by EPSA
Author: Abanoub Soliman Scientific Coordinator: Dr. Ahmed Faheem Institution: University of Sunderland
Advertisement
INTRODUCTION: Early in the 21st century, Covid-19, a viral respiratory tract infection that is induced by SARS-CoV-2, has caused a public health emergency. Unlike bacteria, viruses enter host cells and take advantage of the cell machineries to replicate and cause infection. It makes such nonliving viral microbes a challenging target for therapeutics, as they hide within the cell. The current treatment relies on symptom relief using antipyretic medicine combined with nonpharmacological management, while allowing the body to fight the pathogen. The optimum approach is the prevention of the viral invasion by clearing the virus before it causes infection and subsequently target the virus’s replication steps within the cell. The use of targeted drug delivery method through the implication of nanomedicine to minimize off-target unwanted effects and maximise therapeutic efficacy has a substantial impact on targeting Covid-19.
AIM: The earliest and critical point of intervention is the prophylaxis of infection by achieving immunization prior to viral invasion. This review will evaluate the effectiveness of packaging vaccines into nanocarriers to assist their targeted delivery to antigen presenting cells. DNA and mRNA segments encoding for the spike protein are used, mimicking the virus, to produce antibodies. The susceptibility of these strands to degradation manifests the use of nanotechnology to provide a protective shield and facilitate delivery. Afterwards, this review will evaluate the repurposing of existing therapeutics, which is primordial to treat the infection. However, several biological and pharmacological limitations that interrupt the delivery of such therapeutic agents urge the unmet medical need to incorporate nanomedicine strategies to assist their successful internalisation.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five articles were selected, upon an advanced search, performed on different databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and several websites, such as that of Pfizer, Moderna and the WHO, as per the PRISMA guidelines. Some limiting criteria were used to filter the citations identified, along with exclusion tools to narrow the initial search to the significance of the use of nanotechnology to target coronavirus. Human clinical trials data were included to assess the efficiency of the novel formulations.
RESULTS: Several biotech companies presented vaccine candidates and reformulated anti-viral drugs with promising outcomes, shown in the table below.
CONCLUSION: Some vaccine candidates gained emergency authorisation, such as Moderna and Pfizer, which consist of biocompatible lipid-based nanoparticles. Further, the use of nanomedicine to guide the repurposing of currently approved antiviral drugs has shown prospering outcomes, as Remdesivir has massively accelerated patient recovery. The vaccines’ very low storage temperature requirement limits their transportation and distribution. Future research is required to consider modifications in their pharmaceutical formulation to accommodate such limitations, while maintaining stability and efficacy. Also, further alterations in the formulation could allow their delivery through the nasal cavity promising strong immunity.
Questions & answers
Please, tell us a little bit more about yourself. My name is Abanoub Soliman. Currently, I’m an Egyptian Canadian 3rd year pharmacy student at the University of Sunderland in the UK. I’m constantly looking for new challenges to learn, grow and potentially have a positive impact in the improvement of the healthcare system. I strongly believe that today’s technology promotes lots of opportunities that can be the starting point for innovation. At present, I’m working on another research project with the aim to assess the incorporation of 3D printing into the pharmaceutical field to innovate the conventional tablet manufacturing approach, giving rise to Personalized Medicine.
Tell us a bit more about your research and its significance. Covid-19 has surprised the world with an unexpected global pandemic that has imposed a threat, not only to the public health, but also to the world economy. The situation has urged scientists to accelerate the research for a therapeutic treatment. However, as healthcare has always experienced, viruses are a challenging target for therapeutics. Since vaccine studies could take years until a traditional vaccine is approved by the FDA, my research addresses the novel technique of using nanotechnology to assess the encapsulation of vaccines into nanoparticles. Such an approach would facilitate and accelerate the development process and increase the vaccine’s efficacy. It could also assist the development of a powder-based nasal vaccine, improving patient compliance and preventing unsafe needle reuse. As compared to live virus vaccines that cannot be administered by immunocompromised patients, nanocarriers-based vaccines present a promising method to innovate the field of vaccinology. As the viral load is associated with increased risk of complications, including pneumonia, multi-organ failure and death, it is primordial to target the replication steps of the virus. The promising results allowed people to regain hope that life could get back to normal, easing lockdowns and restrictions.
What was the biggest challenge while carrying out the research and how did you overcome that? One of the biggest challenges I faced was time management. As this research was conducted during my academic year, it was hard to balance it with the course work. Sometimes, it feels that the progress is minimal, but the hard work and dedication was the key to success. I believe that challenges and hard times are what makes you grow as a person and develop new skills.
In your opinion, what is the benefit of joining ESSP and what advice do you have for students undertaking research in the future? For me, it is an honour to have my work published through the ESSP. It shows how the hard work and the time invested is worth every minute of struggle and setbacks. ESSP offers a great opportunity to demonstrate your research abilities and knowledge, while connecting with other pharmacists to fulfil your scientific curiosity. “It is crucial to bear in mind that conducting successful research is not easy. Consider that it might take lots of time, full of obstacles and struggles. However, trust in the process, because once you get to your destination, it will be an unforgettable experience”.
