Advanced Plasmonic Nanoparticle-Based Techniques for the Prevention, Detection, and Treatment of Current COVID-19

Abstract

Coronavirus is an ongoing global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Coronavirus disease 2019 known as COVID-19 is the worst pandemic since World War II. The outbreak of COVID-19 had a significant repercussion on the health, economy, politics, and environment, making coronavirus-related issues more complicated and becoming one of the most challenging pandemics of the last century with deadly outcomes and a high rate of the reproduction number. There are thousands of different types — or variants — of COVID circulating across the world. Viruses mutate all the time; it emphasizes the critical need for the designing of efficient vaccines to prevent virus infection, early and fast diagnosis, and effective antiviral and protective therapeutics. In this regard, the use of nanotechnology offers new opportunities for the development of novel strategies in terms of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. This review presents an outline of the platforms developed using plasmonic nanoparticles in the detection, treatment, and prevention of SARS-CoV-2. We select the best strategies in each of these approaches. The properties of metallic plasmon NPs and their relevance in the development of novel point-of-care diagnosis approaches for COVID-19 are highlighted. Also, we discuss the current challenges and the future perspectives looking towards the clinical translation and the commercial aspects of nanotechnology and plasmonic NP-based diagnostic tools and therapy to fight COVID-19 pandemic. The article could be of significance for researchers dedicated to developing suitable plasmonic detection tools and therapy approaches for COVID-19 viruses and future pandemics.

Nanoplasmonic biosensors for precision medicine

“…The high level of antigenic drift of SARS-CoV-2 may allow the viral pathogen to find additional modes of transmission and become more lethal ( Yewdell, 2021 ). With thousands of different types or variants of SARS-CoV-2 around the world, the variability of the virus underscores the urgent need to design effective vaccines, develop early and rapid diagnostics, and effective antiviral and protective therapies ( Yakoubi and Dhafer, 2023 ). In this regard, the field of nanotechnology can be a bridge between diagnosis and treatment in the fight against COVID-19 and can provide many solutions both outside and inside the host.…”

“…In terms of external conditions, existing personal protective equipment can actually be an effective measure to restrain the spreading of SARS-CoV-2, but there is no inherent antimicrobial effect can only temporarily protect the user ( Yakoubi and Dhafer, 2023 ). Therefore, the development of anti-viral surface coatings and self-sterilizing surfaces to inactivate SAS-CoV-2 is an issue of high demand.…”

Optimization of the Bulk Refractive Index Sensitivity of Silver NanoPrisms

“…If plasmonic nanoparticles are to be used in optical biosensing, nanoparticles with the highest sensitivities should be produced wherever possible. [23,4] These play a role in several different types of sensing: in refractive index sensing, more sensitive nanostructures achieve a higher shift in wavelengths, [24,25] in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS [26] ) and in enhanced fluorescence, [27] a higher gain factor. In the presented paper this optimization is in the focus.…”