Inhibition of coronavirus infections using innovative nanostructures (NanoMERS) 

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Objectives The main goal of the NanoMERS project is the identification of specific and efficient nanomaterials derived anti-MERS-CoV agents effectively inhibiting viral entry and their in vitro and in vivo testing. This multi-disciplinary project involves 3 teams (Institute of Electronics, Microelectronics and Nanotechnology, Institut Galien Paris-Sud and Center for Infection & Immunity of Lille) that are highly complementary due to the technical pre-existing know-how of each partner. The focus will be on the use of carbon based nanostructures, notably modified carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and nanoparticle formulations of poly(D, L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). Identification of most promising anti-MERS-CoV nanostructures using in vitro tests, determination of the pharmacokinetic of the best nanostructures, the possibility of pulmonary delivery using nebulization of mice as well as testing of most promising anti-MERS structures in MERS-CoV infected 3D reconstituted human respiratory epitheliums are the main objectives.

Keywords

Work plan

The NanoMERS project is structured across four work packages (WPs) as illustrated in the following work plan.

Partners

• Partner 1: Institute of Electronics, Microelectronics and Nanotechnology (IEMN, UMR 8520 CNRS) - LINK

Coordinator: Sabine Szunerits (PR EX1, Lille university)
Team:    Rabah Boukherroub (DR1 CNRS), Alexandre Barras (IR2 CNRS)
Expertise: Nanotechnology, surface chemistry, nanomaterials, nanomedicine
References: Barras et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2016, 13, 9004; Szunerits et al., Molecules, 2015, 20, 14051; Khanal et al. Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 139; Khanal et al., ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2013, 5, 12488

• Partner 2: Institut Galien Paris-Sud (IGPS, UMR 8612 CNRS) - LINK

Coordinator: Elias Fattal (PR EX2, U-PSUD)

Team: Hervé Hillaireau (MCU, U-PSUD), Nicolas Tsapis (DR, CNRS), Juliette Vergnaud (MCU, U-PSUD)

Expertise: Nanomedicine, nanotoxicology, biopharmaceutics, lung delivery

References: Bohr et al., Biomacromolecules, 2017, 18, 2379; Ruge et al., Mol Pharm., 2016, 13, 4168; Santiago et al., Nanotoxicology, 2016, 10, 292; Dufay et al., J. Control. Release, 2012, 162, 545

•  Partner 3: Center for Infection & Immunity of Lille (CIIL, UMR 8204 CNRS - U 1019 Inserm) - LINK

Coordinator: Karin Seron (CR1 CNRS)

Team: Jean Dubuisson (DR1 CNRS), Sandrine Belouzard (CR1 CNRS), Adeline Danneels (Tech CNRS)

Expertise: Positive strand RNA viruses (HCV, HEV, coronaviruses), mechanism of action, antiviral agents

References: Belouzard et al., PNAS, 2009, 106, 5871; Khanal et al., Nanoscale, 2015, 7, 1392; Calland et al., J. Virol., 2015, 89, 10053; Millet et al., Antiviral Res., 2016, 133, 1