A Gradient pH-Sensitive Polymer-Based Antiviral Strategy via Viroporin-Induced Membrane Acidification

Lipid-membrane-targeting strategies hold great promise to develop broad-spectrum antivirals. However, it remains a big challenge to identify novel membrane-based targets of viruses and virus-infected cells for development of precision targeted approaches. Here, it is discovered that viroporins, viral-encoded ion channels, which have been reported to mediate release of hydrogen ions, trigger membrane acidification of virus-infected cells. Through development of a fine-scale library of gradient pH-sensitive (GPS) polymeric nanoprobes, the cellular membrane pH transitions are measured from pH 6.8-7.1 (uninfection) to pH 6.5-6.8 (virus-infection). In response to the subtle pH alterations, the GPS polymer with sharp response at pH 6.8 (GPS(6.8)) selectively binds to virus-infected cell membranes or the viral envelope, and even completely disrupts the viral envelope. Accordingly, GPS(6.8) treatment exerts suppressive effects on a wide variety of viruses including SARS-CoV-2 through triggering viral-envelope lysis rather than affecting immune pathway or viability of host cells. Murine viral-infection models exhibit that supplementation of GPS(6.8) decreases viral titers and ameliorates inflammatory damage. Thus, the gradient pH-sensitive nanotechnology offers a promising strategy for accurate detection of biological pH environments and robust interference with viruses.