Broadspectrum nanoparticle-based antivirals

In this talk novel approaches to develop antiviral drugs will be presented. Specifically, nanoparticles capable of irreversibly damage viruses will be presented. It will be argued that that the mechanism of action is that of... [ view full abstract ]

In this talk novel approaches to develop antiviral drugs will be presented. Specifically, nanoparticles capable of irreversibly damage viruses will be presented. It will be argued that that the mechanism of action is that of exerting a pressure on the viral shell. This property, combined with the fact that the particles have minimal toxicity to mammalian cells, renders the particles a potential candidate to the first virucidal drug to get approval for medical use. In particular the case of herpes simplex 2 will be discussed. Other effects of nanoparticles on virus stability and infectivity will be presented.