Enhanced Inactivation of Pseudoparticles Containing SARS-CoV-2 S Protein Using Magnetic Nanoparticles and an Alternating Magnetic Field

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2’s (SARS-CoV-2) rapid global spread has posed a significant threat to human health, and similar outbreaks could occur in the future. Developing effective virus inactivation technologies is critical to preventing and overcoming pandemics. The infection of SARS-CoV-2 depends on the binding of the spike glycoprotein (S) receptor binding domain (RBD) to the host cellular surface receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). If this interaction is disrupted, SARS-CoV-2 infection could be inhibited. Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) dispersions exposed to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) possess the unique ability for magnetically mediated energy delivery (MagMED); this localized energy delivery and associated mechanical, chemical, and thermal effects are a possible technique for inactivating viruses. This study investigates the MNPs’ effect on vesicular stomatitis virus pseudoparticles containing the SARS-CoV-2 S protein when exposed to AMF or a water bath (WB) with varying target steady-state temperatures (45, 50, and 55 °C) for different exposure times (5, 15, and 30 min). In comparison to WB exposures at the same temperatures, AMF exposures resulted in significantly greater inactivation in multiple cases. This is likely due to AMF-induced localized heating and rotation of MNPs. In brief, our findings demonstrate a potential strategy for combating the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic or future ones.