Photo-catalyzed TiO₂ inactivates pathogenic viruses by attacking viral genome.

ABSTRACT: Previous observations have been reported that viruses were inactivated using strong irradiation. Here, new evidence was disclosed by studying the effects of nanosized TiO₂ on viral pathogens under a low irradiation condition (0.4 mW/cm² at UVA band) that mimics the field setting. We showed that photo-activated TiO₂ efficiently inhibits hepatitis C virus infection, and weak indoor light with intensity of 0.6 mW/cm² at broad-spectrum wavelength and around 0.15 mW/cm² of UVA band also lead to partial inhibition. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that hydroxyl radicals produced by photo-activated TiO₂ do not destroy virion structure and contents, but attack viral RNA genome, thus inactivating the virus. Furthermore, we showed that photo-activated TiO₂ inactivates a broad range of human viral pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, we showed that photo-catalyzed nanosized TiO₂ inactivates pathogenic viruses, paving a way to its field application in control of viral infectious diseases.

SUBMITTER: Tong Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7857067 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature