Antiviral Polymers: A Review
Polymers, due to their high molecular weight, tunable architecture, functionality, and buffering effect for endosomal escape, possess unique properties as a carrier or prophylactic agent in preventing pandemic outbreak of new viruses. Polymers are used as a carrier to reduce the minimum required dos...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | Polymers |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/9/1634 |
| _version_ | 1797503220821524480 |
|---|---|
| author | Ali Akbari Ashkan Bigham Vahid Rahimkhoei Sina Sharifi Esmaiel Jabbari |
| author_facet | Ali Akbari Ashkan Bigham Vahid Rahimkhoei Sina Sharifi Esmaiel Jabbari |
| author_sort | Ali Akbari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polymers, due to their high molecular weight, tunable architecture, functionality, and buffering effect for endosomal escape, possess unique properties as a carrier or prophylactic agent in preventing pandemic outbreak of new viruses. Polymers are used as a carrier to reduce the minimum required dose, bioavailability, and therapeutic effectiveness of antiviral agents. Polymers are also used as multifunctional nanomaterials to, directly or indirectly, inhibit viral infections. Multifunctional polymers can interact directly with envelope glycoproteins on the viral surface to block fusion and entry of the virus in the host cell. Polymers can indirectly mobilize the immune system by activating macrophages and natural killer cells against the invading virus. This review covers natural and synthetic polymers that possess antiviral activity, their mechanism of action, and the effect of material properties like chemical composition, molecular weight, functional groups, and charge density on antiviral activity. Natural polymers like carrageenan, chitosan, fucoidan, and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, and synthetic polymers like dendrimers and sialylated polymers are reviewed. This review discusses the steps in the viral replication cycle from binding to cell surface receptors to viral-cell fusion, replication, assembly, and release of the virus from the host cell that antiviral polymers interfere with to block viral infections. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:47:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-021bbf4f6eed4901a4c1139e1488d99f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:47:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-021bbf4f6eed4901a4c1139e1488d99f2023-11-23T09:04:01ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602022-04-01149163410.3390/polym14091634Antiviral Polymers: A ReviewAli Akbari0Ashkan Bigham1Vahid Rahimkhoei2Sina Sharifi3Esmaiel Jabbari4Solid Tumor Research Center, Research Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia 57147, IranInstitute of Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials—National Research Council (IPCB-CNR), Viale J.F. Kennedy 54—Mostra d’Oltremare Pad. 20, 80125 Naples, ItalySolid Tumor Research Center, Research Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia 57147, IranDisruptive Technology Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Schepens Eye Research Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USABiomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USAPolymers, due to their high molecular weight, tunable architecture, functionality, and buffering effect for endosomal escape, possess unique properties as a carrier or prophylactic agent in preventing pandemic outbreak of new viruses. Polymers are used as a carrier to reduce the minimum required dose, bioavailability, and therapeutic effectiveness of antiviral agents. Polymers are also used as multifunctional nanomaterials to, directly or indirectly, inhibit viral infections. Multifunctional polymers can interact directly with envelope glycoproteins on the viral surface to block fusion and entry of the virus in the host cell. Polymers can indirectly mobilize the immune system by activating macrophages and natural killer cells against the invading virus. This review covers natural and synthetic polymers that possess antiviral activity, their mechanism of action, and the effect of material properties like chemical composition, molecular weight, functional groups, and charge density on antiviral activity. Natural polymers like carrageenan, chitosan, fucoidan, and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, and synthetic polymers like dendrimers and sialylated polymers are reviewed. This review discusses the steps in the viral replication cycle from binding to cell surface receptors to viral-cell fusion, replication, assembly, and release of the virus from the host cell that antiviral polymers interfere with to block viral infections.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/9/1634antiviral polymersnaturalsyntheticpolysaccharidesnucleic acid polymersdendrimers |
| spellingShingle | Ali Akbari Ashkan Bigham Vahid Rahimkhoei Sina Sharifi Esmaiel Jabbari Antiviral Polymers: A Review Polymers antiviral polymers natural synthetic polysaccharides nucleic acid polymers dendrimers |
| title | Antiviral Polymers: A Review |
| title_full | Antiviral Polymers: A Review |
| title_fullStr | Antiviral Polymers: A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antiviral Polymers: A Review |
| title_short | Antiviral Polymers: A Review |
| title_sort | antiviral polymers a review |
| topic | antiviral polymers natural synthetic polysaccharides nucleic acid polymers dendrimers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/9/1634 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aliakbari antiviralpolymersareview AT ashkanbigham antiviralpolymersareview AT vahidrahimkhoei antiviralpolymersareview AT sinasharifi antiviralpolymersareview AT esmaieljabbari antiviralpolymersareview |