{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T12:14:10Z","timestamp":1770293650029,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,26]],"date-time":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1650931200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; Sirius University","award":["075-15-2019-1669"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["075-15-2019-1669"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Nanosilver possesses antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis, antiplatelet, and anticancer properties. The development of disinfectants, inactivated vaccines, and combined etiotropic and immunomodulation therapy against respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19, remains urgent. Aim: Our goal was to determine the SARS-CoV-2 molecular targets (genomic RNA and the structural virion proteins S and N) for silver-containing nanomaterials. Methods: SARS-CoV-2 gene cloning, purification of S2 and N recombinant proteins, viral RNA isolation from patients\u2019 blood samples, reverse transcription with quantitative real-time PCR ((RT)2-PCR), ELISA, and multiplex immunofluorescent analysis with magnetic beads (xMAP) for detection of 17 inflammation markers. Results: Fluorescent Ag nanoclusters (NCs) less than 2 nm with a few recovered silver atoms, citrate coated Ag nanoparticles (NPs) with diameters of 20\u2013120 nm, and nanoconjugates of 50\u2013150 nm consisting of Ag NPs with different protein envelopes were constructed from AgNO3 and analyzed by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), ultraviolet-visible light absorption, and fluorescent spectroscopy. SARS-CoV-2 RNA isolated from COVID-19 patients\u2019 blood samples was completely cleaved with the artificial RNase complex compound Li+[Ag+2Cys2\u2212(OH\u2212)2(NH3)2] (Ag-2S), whereas other Ag-containing materials provided partial RNA degradation only. Treatment of the SARS-CoV-2 S2 and N recombinant antigens with AgNO3 and Ag NPs inhibited their binding with specific polyclonal antibodies, as shown by ELISA. Fluorescent Ag NCs with albumin or immunoglobulins, Ag-2S complex, and nanoconjugates of Ag NPs with protein shells had no effect on the interaction between coronavirus recombinant antigens and antibodies. Reduced production of a majority of the 17 inflammation biomarkers after treatment of three human cell lines with nanosilver was demonstrated by xMAP. Conclusion: The antiviral properties of the silver nanomaterials against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus differed. The small-molecular-weight artificial RNase Ag-2S provided exhaustive RNA destruction but could not bind with the SARS-CoV-2 recombinant antigens. On the contrary, Ag+ ions and Ag NPs interacted with the SARS-CoV-2 recombinant antigens N and S but were less efficient at performing viral RNA cleavage. One should note that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was more stable than MS2 phage RNA. The isolated RNA of both the MS2 phage and SARS-CoV-2 were more degradable than the MS2 phage and coronavirus particles in patients\u2019 blood, due to the protection with structural proteins. To reduce the risk of the virus resistance, a combined treatment with Ag-2S and Ag NPs could be used. To prevent cytokine storm during the early stages of respiratory infections with RNA-containing viruses, nanoconjugates of Ag NPs with surface proteins could be recommended.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v14050902","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,26]],"date-time":"2022-04-26T21:37:53Z","timestamp":1651009073000},"page":"902","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Targeting of Silver Cations, Silver-Cystine Complexes, Ag Nanoclusters, and Nanoparticles towards SARS-CoV-2 RNA and Recombinant Virion Proteins"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9630-0777","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Olga V.","family":"Morozova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1A Malaya Pirogovskaya St., 119435 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of the National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of N.F. Gamaleya of the Russian Ministry of Health, 16 Gamaleya St., 123098 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave., 354349 Sochi, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Valentin A.","family":"Manuvera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1A Malaya Pirogovskaya St., 119435 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1A Malaya Pirogovskaya St., 119435 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutsky Per., 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alexander E.","family":"Grishchechkin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of the National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of N.F. Gamaleya of the Russian Ministry of Health, 16 Gamaleya St., 123098 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nikolay A.","family":"Barinov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1A Malaya Pirogovskaya St., 119435 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave., 354349 Sochi, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nataliya V.","family":"Shevlyagina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of the National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of N.F. Gamaleya of the Russian Ministry of Health, 16 Gamaleya St., 123098 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4653-2446","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vladimir G.","family":"Zhukhovitsky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of the National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology of N.F. Gamaleya of the Russian Ministry of Health, 16 Gamaleya St., 123098 Moscow, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vassili N.","family":"Lazarev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1A Malaya Pirogovskaya St., 119435 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1A Malaya Pirogovskaya St., 119435 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutsky Per., 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dmitry V.","family":"Klinov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 1A Malaya Pirogovskaya St., 119435 Moscow, Russia"},{"name":"Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave., 354349 Sochi, Russia"},{"name":"Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutsky Per., 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,4,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1227","DOI":"10.2147\/IJN.S121956","article-title":"The antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles: Present situation and prospects for the future","volume":"12","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Int. 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