Engineering sialylated lipid nanoparticles toward a new cure against Influenza viruses

Viral infections can be the source of pandemics, and the recent example of Covid-19 has reminded us that it is necessary to look for new therapeutic solutions. Antiadhesive therapy against influenza viruses, which consists of preventing the adhesion of the virus to host cells using molecular decoys, was investigated by designing nanostructured lipid particles whose surface was decorated with sialylated glycans. A bacterial process based on synthetic biology allowed the production of sialic acid-containing oligosaccharides and mimetics.1 Those molecules were used to functionalize lipid nanoparticles either by a grafting onto approach or by a one-pot formulation when assembling the nanoparticles.