Opportunities for biomaterials to address the challenges of COVID‐19

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has revealed major shortcomings in our ability to mitigate transmission of infectious viral disease and provide treatment to patients, resulting in a public health crisis. Within months of the first reported case in China, the virus has spread worldwide at an unprecedented rate. COVID‐19 illustrates that the biomaterials community was engaged in significant research efforts against bacteria and fungi with relatively little effort devoted to viruses. Accordingly, biomaterials scientists and engineers will have to participate in multidisciplinary antiviral research over the coming years. Although tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have historically dominated the field of biomaterials, current research holds promise for providing transformative solutions to viral outbreaks. To facilitate collaboration, it is imperative to establish a mutual language and adequate understanding between clinicians, industry partners, and research scientists. In this article, clinical perspectives are shared to clearly define emerging healthcare needs that can be met by biomaterials solutions. Strategies and opportunities for novel biomaterials intervention spanning diagnostics, treatment strategies, vaccines, and virus‐deactivating surface coatings are discussed. Ultimately this review serves as a call for the biomaterials community to become a leading contributor to the prevention and management of the current and future viral outbreaks.

Recent advances in materials science: a reinforced approach toward challenges against COVID-19

“…The protective coatings of these metallic nanoparticles can be applied on the commonly used surfaces or PPE equipment to inactivate the virus. Silver nanoparticles (1–10 nm) can preferably bind with the sulfur residues, present on the viral envelop and therefore, restrict the further binding of viruses with the host cells [ 51 , 52 ]. Similarly, gold nanoparticles also bind with the virus particles and therefore, block the receptors of host cells [ 54 ].…”

“…Gold nanoparticles bind and break the disulfide bonds of the virus and thereby, inhibit the viral membrane interaction with the receptor of host cells [Fig. 4 ( a )] [ 52 , 54 ]. Copper oxide nanoparticles have the ability towards oxidative damage of the enveloped as well as non-enveloped viruses [ 53 ].…”

“…The latter two clinical testing standards are presently not proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) [ 62 ]. The real-time RT-PCR, which is currently common clinical testing means for COVID-19, has succeeded among the myriad of biodetection methods because of its excellent specificity to pathogens and resolution (limits of detection) [ 52 ]. In this technique, the single stranded DNA/RNA viruses are usually detected.…”

“…These diagnostic methods are, therefore, time consuming (i.e., from sample collection to the interpretation of the results). The best alternative to these methodologies is a point of care (POC) systems, which offers accurate and rapid results [ 52 , 63 ]. Also, they are useful to provide the diagnosis in the case of emergency conditions as compared to conventional laboratory testing process.…”

“…Biomaterials also present preferable POC approaches towards diagnosis such as manufacturing of disposables, nasal, and buccal swabs for collection of DNA samples which can be preserved over the long duration of time [ 52 ]. Recently, 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs (nasal) were developed, tested, and validated by Formlabs (USA) [ 66 ].…”