question: Summarize the following in concise and understandable language.

Nanotechnology Tools to Inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in Patients

The main target of SARS-CoV-2 is the respiratory tract (upper airways, lung), although other organs might also be infected (e.g., gut, kidney) and vasculature also appears to be a prime target. The expression of ACE2 probably determines uptake by different tissues.

In addition to discussing immune-based approaches, because the lung is the most critically affected organ, we will center our discussion on the various options to inactivate the virus in the deep lung and to target the essential host cells for drug delivery. The virus reaches the alveoli and enters alveolar epithelial type II cells (AECII), due to the relatively high abundance of ACE2 and a permissive cellular milieu. These cells serve as a reservoir of the virus, which finally spreads throughout the lung, leading to the lung function impairment seen in severe cases. Airborne nanomaterials are optimally suited to penetrate into the deep lung due to the physicochemical properties of such aerosols, existing on the same size scale particles that penetrate most readily to the deep airways. Hence, nanomedicine is already actively pursuing ideas to deliver drugs, therapeutic proteins, and mRNAs by exploiting nanodevices for pulmonary delivery.

Moreover, the rapid emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has exposed one of the main weaknesses in the current medical landscape: the lack of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. At present, there are only a handful of approved antivirals, and they are mostly virus-specific. Hence, when a new virus emerges, little can be done pharmacologically to slow down its spread. Some research efforts have been focused on the development of broad-spectrum drugs, which could potentially offer some efficacy against future emerging viruses (and maybe SARS-CoV-2). The various approaches developed over the years are mainly based on the creation of entry inhibitors. A highly conserved part in viruses is the attachment ligand (VAL). In most known respiratory viruses, the VAL targets either heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) or sialic acids (SA). Both HSPG and SA mimics have shown in vitro ability to bind to viruses, blocking their interaction with cell membranes, and often in a broad-spectrum way. In the context of nanomedicine, many nanomaterials have been developed, ranging from polymers to dendrimers, oligomers, NPs, liposomes, and small molecules. However, successful clinical translation has been hindered by the fact that, upon dilution, these compounds lose efficacy as the virus-compound complex dissociates leaving viruses free to restart their replication cycle. Recently, it has been shown that this limitation can be overcome by synthesizing NPs that, after binding, are able to inhibit viral infectivity irreversibly by permanently damaging the virion, refueling the hope for a true, broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Because the focus is also on the development of a drug specific to SARS-CoV-2, a good entry inhibitor could be based on blocking the S spike protein interaction with the cellular ACE2 receptor. Regardless of the specific approach, it is imperative that novel, effective antivirals be based on compounds that exhibit very low or negligible toxicity profiles, as patients will most likely need to receive those drugs for extended periods of time and will already be weakened. For these reasons, when designing antiviral drugs, clearance mechanisms have to be kept in mind. An example of this process is the recent redesign of broad-spectrum antiviral NPs into equally effective modified cyclodextrins. Moreover, nanotechnology may offer nanotheranostic approaches to fill the existing gap between diagnostics and therapy. The simultaneous management of both diagnostics and therapy for those suffering from COVID-19 or in future pandemics, as for many other diseases, is an additional potential strategy to take into consideration in which nanomaterials have proven to be effective tools. The advantages of the capabilities of nanotechnology and nanomaterials for combined therapeutics and diagnostics has been widely explored in cancer research; however, there have been considerable efforts in the past few years to extend the scope of this approach to other areas including infectious diseases.

Question

question: Summarize the following in concise and understandable language.

Nanotechnology Tools to Inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in Patients

The main target of SARS-CoV-2 is the respiratory tract (upper airways, lung), although other organs might also be infected (e.g., gut, kidney) and vasculature also appears to be a prime target. The expression of ACE2 probably determines uptake by different tissues.

In addition to discussing immune-based approaches, because the lung is the most critically affected organ, we will center our discussion on the various options to inactivate the virus in the deep lung and to target the essential host cells for drug delivery. The virus reaches the alveoli and enters alveolar epithelial type II cells (AECII), due to the relatively high abundance of ACE2 and a permissive cellular milieu. These cells serve as a reservoir of the virus, which finally spreads throughout the lung, leading to the lung function impairment seen in severe cases. Airborne nanomaterials are optimally suited to penetrate into the deep lung due to the physicochemical properties of such aerosols, existing on the same size scale particles that penetrate most readily to the deep airways. Hence, nanomedicine is already actively pursuing ideas to deliver drugs, therapeutic proteins, and mRNAs by exploiting nanodevices for pulmonary delivery.

Moreover, the rapid emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has exposed one of the main weaknesses in the current medical landscape: the lack of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs. At present, there are only a handful of approved antivirals, and they are mostly virus-specific. Hence, when a new virus emerges, little can be done pharmacologically to slow down its spread. Some research efforts have been focused on the development of broad-spectrum drugs, which could potentially offer some efficacy against future emerging viruses (and maybe SARS-CoV-2). The various approaches developed over the years are mainly based on the creation of entry inhibitors. A highly conserved part in viruses is the attachment ligand (VAL). In most known respiratory viruses, the VAL targets either heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) or sialic acids (SA). Both HSPG and SA mimics have shown in vitro ability to bind to viruses, blocking their interaction with cell membranes, and often in a broad-spectrum way. In the context of nanomedicine, many nanomaterials have been developed, ranging from polymers to dendrimers, oligomers, NPs, liposomes, and small molecules. However, successful clinical translation has been hindered by the fact that, upon dilution, these compounds lose efficacy as the virus-compound complex dissociates leaving viruses free to restart their replication cycle. Recently, it has been shown that this limitation can be overcome by synthesizing NPs that, after binding, are able to inhibit viral infectivity irreversibly by permanently damaging the virion, refueling the hope for a true, broad-spectrum antiviral drug. Because the focus is also on the development of a drug specific to SARS-CoV-2, a good entry inhibitor could be based on blocking the S spike protein interaction with the cellular ACE2 receptor. Regardless of the specific approach, it is imperative that novel, effective antivirals be based on compounds that exhibit very low or negligible toxicity profiles, as patients will most likely need to receive those drugs for extended periods of time and will already be weakened. For these reasons, when designing antiviral drugs, clearance mechanisms have to be kept in mind. An example of this process is the recent redesign of broad-spectrum antiviral NPs into equally effective modified cyclodextrins. Moreover, nanotechnology may offer nanotheranostic approaches to fill the existing gap between diagnostics and therapy. The simultaneous management of both diagnostics and therapy for those suffering from COVID-19 or in future pandemics, as for many other diseases, is an additional potential strategy to take into consideration in which nanomaterials have proven to be effective tools. The advantages of the capabilities of nanotechnology and nanomaterials for combined therapeutics and diagnostics has been widely explored in cancer research; however, there have been considerable efforts in the past few years to extend the scope of this approach to other areas including infectious diseases.

Accepted Answer

SARS-CoV-2
It is Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 which is a strain of coronavirus…