Benzinga | Jun 28, 2021 08:29AM EDT

Nanomedicine Company Makes "Nanomachines" that Attack Viruses

Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash

Ever since scientists discovered the existence of viruses in the late 1800s, virologists have tried to understand and prevent them from affecting humans. And as medicines and science advance, new ways of preventing viruses emerge. Some vaccines contain a weakened virus to stimulate the human immune system, while others contain no virus and still signal the system to do its work. With the pandemic sweeping the nation and the world, scientists discovered yet another way to address viral immunity through mRNA, which becomes part of our cells and alerts the immune system.

But what if there were a way to stop and kill viruses without depending on the human immune system to do so? Such a solution would leave the immune system free to fight off other daily enemies and give those with compromised immune systems a better chance to defend against a virus. A company called NanoViricides (NYSE:NNVC) does just that.

Who Is NanoViricides?

NanoViricides, Inc. (NYSE:NNVC) is a Connecticut-based company that researches and develops nano-pharmaceuticals to fight viruses. It not only relies on groundbreaking technology to potentially prevent viruses from duplicating in the human body, but it also works with other organizations to test the safety and effectiveness of these nanomedicines. Their work is expected to enter human clinical testing very soon.

A few viruses NanoViricides, Inc. is working toward attacking include Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), shingles, and influenza. To stop these and other viruses from infecting and duplicating in humans, NanoViricides, Inc. developed what they call a nanoviricide. It is designed to block the virus from spreading within the body, thus eliminating the infection.

How Does a Nanoviricide Work?

The idea is that the drug NanoViricides, Inc. developed would contain a nanoviricide (or nanomachine) that attracts the targeted virus. The nanomachine then attacks, traps and destroys the virus before it can replicate and invade the body further.

If this technology works as expected, it will change how the medical community approaches every virus on the planet, including the coronavirus and future viruses not yet discovered.

What this Could Mean for Populations

The ability to trap and destroy viruses could have the potential not only to wipe out viruses that exist now and ones that rear their ugly heads tomorrow, but it can mean the end of future pandemics. Also, this discovery could be life-changing for those with compromised immune systems because the nanomachines don't rely on a person's immune system to work. So, nanomedicines like the ones NanoViricides is developing could protect all of humankind.

The Future of Viruses

When the coronavirus swept the nation and companies like Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) brought a new vaccine on the market using mRNA, it started to give new hope for controlling viruses. It will be possible in the future for NanoViricides to build a chip with an array of different nanoviricide drugs on it. When a new viral infection is found, the blood of the patient can be directly tested on such a chip to find which nanoviricides catch the virus most effectively. The best one would then be the drug to treat the infection. This technology has the potential to block pandemics from happening in the first place. With nanomedicine approaching viruses in a brand new way, we can look toward tomorrow with confidence that no matter what virus appears on the horizon, science is more ready than ever before.