Nano Today. 2020 Aug; 33: 100883.
Published online 2020 May 7. doi: 10.1016/j.nantod.2020.100883
PMCID: PMC7203038
PMID: 32382315
Can graphene take part in the fight against COVID-19?
V. Palmieria,b,c,⁎ and M. Papia,b,⁎
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Abstract
The pneumonia outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a global issue. The bidimensional material graphene has captured much attention due to promising antimicrobial applications and has also demonstrated antiviral efficacy. In response to this global outbreak, we summarized the current state of knowledge of graphene and virus interaction as well as possible successful applications to fight COVID-19. Antibody-conjugated graphene sheets can rapidly detect targeted virus proteins and can be useful for large population screening, but also for the development of environmental sensors and filters, given the low cost of graphene materials. Functionalized graphene has demonstrated a good viral capture capacity that, combined with heat or light-mediated inactivation, could be used as a disinfectant. Graphene sensors arrays can be implemented on standard utility textiles and drug efficacy screening. Thanks to its high versatility, we foresee that graphene may have a leading role in the fight against COVID-19.
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Introduction
The unprecedented pneumonia outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is tearing global health systems apart. While government bodies are struggling in preventing further spread of COVID-19, researchers immediately started tests on vaccines and a clinical trial is currently underway with potential treatments for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus – 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [1]. The coronavirus corona is formed by surface proteic projections on the viral lipid envelope enclosing single-stranded positive-sense RNA (see Fig. 1 a) [2].
Limitations and Challenges
Even if the antiviral efficacy of graphene has been demonstrated, the immediate use of graphene for treatment of COVID-19 is unrealistic. The only available in vivo test for virus treatment demonstrated the efficacy of GO-hypericin in ducklings infected with the Novel duck reovirus [29]. We should however point out that in vivo toxicity of graphene is still a matter of debate. Graphene materials can cross biological barriers but are less cytotoxic toward macrophages, important cells for immunological response, compared with other carbon nanomaterials. Conclusions on graphene toxicity are however made difficult due to the infinite combinations of dose, surface chemistry, exposure route used for the evaluation [39]. Its instability and aggregation in solution arefurther problems, given the mandatory stability required for drugs and vaccine storage prior use [40].
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Summary and Outlook
Graphene is a nanomaterial with a thousand advantages. Although the urgency of treatment and vaccines necessary for SARS-CoV-2 combined with the lack of a complete toxicity characterization make an in vivo use farther off than we expected, there are other chances to exploit graphene and its composites against COVID-19. World Health Organization continues to highlight the need for the prioritization of personal protective equipment supplies for frontline healthcare workers and graphene could be used as coatings of facemasks to minimize the risk of transmission. Graphene textile applications for epidemiological exposure detection and for filtering are possible allies of health systems against pandemic spreading. Furthermore, high-throughput diagnostics and drug screening based on graphene sensors have been successfully demonstrated and some of these sensors have begun to make their way to the market place [3]. In response to this global outbreak, we have summarized the current state of knowledge of graphene-virus interaction as well as possible graphene uses transferrable to COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment. Further research is undoubtedly required but we foresee that graphene may have a leading role in the world fight against COVID-19.
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Author Statement
Massimiliano Papi and Valentina Palmieri conceptualized and wrote the manuscript.
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Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
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