Entangling of Peptide Nanofibers Reduces the Invasiveness of SARS-CoV-2.

The viral spike (S) protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 binds to angiotensin- converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the host cells, facilitating its entry and infection. Here, we designed and prepared functionalized nanofibers targeting the S protein with peptide sequences of IRQFFKK, WVHFYHK and NSGGSVH, which were screened from a high-throughput one-bead one-compound screening strategy. The flexible nanofibers support multiple binding sites and efficiently entangle SARS-CoV-2, forming a nanofibrous network that blocks the interaction between the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the ACE2 on host cells, and efficiently reduce the invasiveness of SARS-CoV-2. In summary, nanofibers entangling represents a smart nanomedicine for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.