DNA Nanoshells With Heparin for Broad-Spectrum Virus Trapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current antiviral therapies, such as neutralizing antibodies, are limited by mutational drift, time to develop, and can cause adverse immunogenic effects, and existing DNA-based virus-trapping methods face challenges in encapsulation efficiency and specificity.
Innovation Solution
A DNA-based nanostructure with self-assembling building blocks and sulfonated or sulfated polysaccharide groups within the cavity, allowing efficient encapsulation of viruses or viral particles without requiring prior knowledge of the target virus genetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If neutralizing antibodies are used for antiviral therapy, then virus-neutralizing function is achieved by blocking receptor-mediated cell invasion, but antibodies are prone to losing function due to mutational drift, take time to develop, and cause adverse immunogenic effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs heparin, a universal binding moiety that can interact with multiple virus families through common heparan sulfate proteoglycan receptors, enabling a single shell design to trap diverse viruses including adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, and SARS-CoV-2 without requiring virus-specific customization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces heparin as an intermediary binding agent between the DNA origami shell and viral particles. This mediator enables broad-spectrum virus trapping through electrostatic interactions with basic amino acid residues on viral capsids, avoiding the need for direct antibody-virus interactions that are subject to mutational drift
2Reliability
If antibodies are used in virus-trapping shells, then virus particles can be encapsulated, but the use of antibodies presents fabrication hurdles and costs, and requires up to 90 antibodies per shell
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the virus-binding function from complex antibody molecules and transfers it to a simpler, more stable heparin-based system. This extraction eliminates the need for multiple antibodies per shell while maintaining encapsulation capability, reducing fabrication complexity from handling 90+ antibodies to incorporating heparin into the shell interior
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive, difficult-to-manufacture antibodies with a cheaper, more accessible heparin-based binding system. Heparin can be easily incorporated into the DNA origami shell without requiring complex antibody attachment procedures, significantly reducing fabrication costs and complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If heparin is used as binding moiety in DNA origami shells, then broad-spectrum virus trapping is achieved through electrostatic interactions, but the encapsulation efficiency and rate need to be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes encapsulation efficiency by strategically placing heparin binding moieties on the interior surface of the DNA origami shell, creating localized high-density binding zones that enhance virus capture probability. The heparin is positioned to maximize electrostatic interactions with viral capsids as they approach the shell interior
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure combining DNA origami shell material with heparin binding moieties. This composite approach integrates the structural advantages of DNA origami with the broad-spectrum binding capabilities of heparin, achieving both high encapsulation efficiency and broad virus spectrum coverage
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The DNA-based nanostructure achieves high encapsulation efficiency and stability, trapping a variety of viral particles with minimal release, providing a broad-spectrum antiviral platform.
Implementation Method 1
a subset of one or more of said oligonucleotides in one or more of said self-assembling DNA-based building blocks is/are each linked to a construct comprising at least one sulfonated or sulfated polysaccharide group pointing to the interior of said cavity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a DNA-based nanostructure for encapsulating viruses or viral particles, to a composition comprising one or more viruses or viral particles encapsulated by such a DNA-based nanostructure according to the present invention, and to a method for encapsulating one or more viruses or viral particles by using such a DNA-based nanostructure.