Iron oxide and iron oxyhydroxide nanoparticles impair SARS-CoV-2 infection of cultured cells

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Researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) have found antiviral activity against SARS-Cov-2 in iron oxide and oxyhydroxide nanoparticles. The results, published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology, suggest that oxidative stress and interference with the intracellular metabolism of the iron they produce could be the cause of their antiviral effect. This also suggests that virus replication could depend on intracellular iron levels.

Previous studies had identified that iron oxide nanoparticles had an antiviral effect against the influenza virus, which is why CSIC researchers at the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) and the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) began a collaboration to study whether iron oxide and oxyhydroxide nanoparticles could also have antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. The results highlight that antianemic drugs and magnetic resonance contrast agents based on iron nanoparticles could be used as antivirals.

“Thanks to the easy possibility of controlling their body distribution, their detection by various medical imaging techniques, their biocompatibility and the low cost of their production, magnetic iron oxides in the form of stable nanoparticles in water represent a very interesting alternative to treatment and diagnosis of different diseases”, explains María del Puerto Morales, ICMM-CSIC researcher. The synthesis processes developed in his group allow the obtaining of uniform nanoparticles in size and shape, controlled aggregation and chemical purity.