A novel treatment for COVID-19 has been developed in the form of nanoparticles with the ability to trap SARS-CoV-2 viruses inside the body and use the body’s immune system to inactivate them.

These nanotraps engineered by researchers from the University of Chicago, Chicago Immunoengineering Innovation Center and Northwestern University lure the virus by imitating target cells infected by the virus. After being contained by the nanotraps, the virus is sequestered from other cells and targeted for Nanoparticles trap SARS-CoV-2 viruses inside the body and use the body’s immune system to inactivate them. Source: Jun Huang et al.destruction by the immune system.

Composed of polymers and phospholipids with a diameter of about 500 nm, the nanoparticle surfaces sport a high density of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors, which are used by the virus to bind to cells. Neutralizing antibodies and macrophages are triggered by the immune system in the presence of the target virus.

Tests conducted with a mouse model demonstrated that entry of a pseudovirus into cells was blocked. The destruction of the nanotrap and virus by macrophages occurred within 10 minutes.

The process described in Matter is in the early stages of testing, but the researchers believe that it could be administered through a nasal spray as a treatment for COVID-19.