Antiviral Activity of Peptide-Based Assemblies

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of developing surfaces and coatings with antiviral activity. Here, we present, for the first time, peptide-based assemblies that can kill viruses. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the assemblies is in the range tens of micrograms per milliliter. This value is 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the MIC of metal nanoparticles. When applied on a surface, by drop casting, the peptide spherical assemblies adhere to the surface and form an antiviral coating against both RNA-and DNA-based viruses including coronavirus. Our results show that the coating reduced the number of T4 bacteriophages (DNA-based virus) by 3 log, compared with an untreated surface and 6 log, when compared with a stock solution. Importantly, we showed that this coating completely inactivated canine coronavirus (RNA-based virus). This peptide-based coating can be useful wherever sterile surfaces are needed to reduce the risk of viral transmission.

Fabrication of antimicrobial polymeric films by compression molding of peptide assemblies and polyethylene

“…This is in accordance with our previous report on the antiviral activity of the peptide assemblies. 19 The antiviral activity of the peptide-compounded film is in agreement with our previous work, where the peptide assemblies were deposited on the glass surface and acted against Escherichia virus T4 and canine coronavirus. 19 We hypothesized that the peptide assemblies interfere with the viral assembly.…”

Passive antifouling and active self-disinfecting antiviral surfaces

“…Peptide-based assemblies form another type of biopolymers that have been intensively developed in the last few years for the fabrication of the antiviral coatings [118] . Three main antiviral effects are applied by different peptide groups: (i) peptides that inhibit virus attachment and virus-cell membrane fusion; (ii) peptides that disrupt the viral envelope; and (iii) peptides that inhibit virus replication by interacting with viral polymerase [119] .…”

Dipeptide self-assembly into water-channels and gel biomaterial

“…1 In particular, dipeptides are the simplest building blocks of this class of biomolecules, thus being the most advantageous in terms of ease of preparation and production cost, both of which are key to enable their translation into commercial products. 2,3 Potential fields of applications are numerous and very diverse, and they range from medicine, 4–7 to bioelectronics, 8–10 and energy. 11,12…”

“…1 In particular, dipeptides are the simplest building blocks of this class of biomolecules, thus being the most advantageous in terms of ease of preparation and production cost, both of which are key to enable their translation into commercial products. 2,3 Potential fields of applications are numerous and very diverse, and they range from medicine, [4][5][6][7] to bioelectronics, [8][9][10] and energy. 11,12 However, it is well-known that prediction of supramolecular behaviour of dipeptides is very challenging, owing to their richness in available conformations, and diversity in their functional groups, so that even subtle structural differences are amplified through cooperative self-assembly, into dramatically different outcomes.…”