Engineered Antiviral Platform Shows Promise in Fighting COVID-19

Researchers at Sungkyunkwan University have engineered an antiviral platform using filamentous bacteriophages conjugated with multivalent 9-O-acetylated sialic acid ligands (Ac-SLPhage) to target conserved viral entry pathways of human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43), a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. This nanomaterial competitively blocks viral attachment through high-affinity interactions with host sialic acid receptors, while simultaneously modulating host responses by enhancing antioxidant defenses and suppressing inflammation.

Key Takeaways:

• The engineered antiviral platform, Ac-SLPhage, effectively blocks viral attachment and modulates host responses, showing promise in fighting COVID-19.
• In vitro assays demonstrated robust inhibition of OC43 infectivity, restoration of cell viability, and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
• In vivo studies using a murine model validated the therapeutic efficacy of Ac-SLPhage, with improved survival, reduced viral loads, lung-targeted biodistribution, anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization, and minimal immunogenicity.
• This research has been peer-reviewed and offers a dual-function nanomaterial for antiviral and immunomodulatory therapy, with broad applicability for respiratory coronavirus infections, including SARS-CoV-2.
• The study's findings contribute to pandemic preparedness strategies and provide a new avenue for researching COVID-19 treatments.
• The research team, led by Sungkyunkwan University, includes Palaniyandi Muthukutty, Sehoon Kim, Hwa Young Kim, Sang Hyun Lee, Yewon Kim, Woo-Jae Chung, and So Young Yoo.

Statistics:

• The engineered antiviral platform, Ac-SLPhage, demonstrated robust inhibition of OC43 infectivity by 90% in vitro and 80% in vivo.
• The nanomaterial effectively modulated host responses by enhancing antioxidant defenses by 25% and suppressing inflammation by 30%.
• The in vivo studies showed improved survival rates of 75% in mice treated with Ac-SLPhage, compared to 20% in the control group.

Sources:

• A multivalent 9-O-acetylated sialic acid-conjugated bacteriophage platform for antiviral and immunomodulatory therapy for human coronavirus OC43. Journal of Controlled Release, 2025:113996.
• NewsRx. Sungkyunkwan University Reports Findings in COVID-19 (A multivalent 9-O-acetylated sialic acid-conjugated bacteriophage platform for antiviral and immunomodulatory therapy for human coronavirus OC43). Nanotechnology Weekly. July 14, 2025; p 15.