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Image: In this artist's rendering, a small web woven by strands of DNA covers the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19 and emits a luminescence signal
.
According to a new study, a small web woven by strands of DNA could trap the spike proteins of the virus that causes COVID-19, illuminate the virus, perform rapid but sensitive diagnostic tests, and also stop the virus from infecting cells, opening up a new possible avenue
for antiviral therapy.
In a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers and collaborators at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign demonstrate the ability of DNA webs to
detect and block COVID-19 in human cell cultures.
"This platform combines the sensitivity of PCR with the speed and low cost of antigen detection," said
Xing WANG, the leader of the study and a professor of bioengineering and chemistry at the University of Illinois.
DNA is best known for its genetic properties, but it can also be folded into custom nanoscale structures that can perform functions or, like proteins, specifically bind to other structures
.
The researchers demonstrated that their DNA web, which effectively targets spike proteins, is able to detect the virus at very low levels, equivalent to the sensitivity of a gold standard PCR test, which can take a day or more to
return results from a clinical laboratory.
This technology has several advantages
.
"Another benefit of this measure is that we can detect the whole virus that is still contagious and distinguish it from the fragment that may no longer be contagious," Wang said
.
In addition, the DNA mesh inhibits the spread of the virus in live cell culture, and antiviral activity increases
with the size of the DNA mesh scaffold.
Wang said: "At the beginning of the outbreak, I had the idea of building a detection platform, but also to build a suppression platform
.
The DNA network platform can adapt to other viruses and even multiplex, so that a single test can detect multiple viruses
.
"We're trying to develop a unified technology that can be used as a plug-and-play platform
.
The National Institutes of Health supports this work with rapid accelerated diagnostic protocols
.
