Viruses not only pose severe threats to public health, but also influence the development of society. Over the past decade, rapid advances have been seen in the application of nanomaterials to virus research. As an interdisciplinary field, nanotechnology offers powerful functions because the structures of nanomaterials are unique, with remarkable physicochemical properties and excellent biocompatibility. Nanomaterials have been developed for virus detection and tracking and for antiviral strategies, to better understand viruses and reduce viral infections, implying a bright future for this field. Herein, the recent advances are systematically summarized regarding the nanomaterials used in viral studies. Representative applications of nanomaterials to viral detection and tracking are described. The antiviral effects achieved with nanomaterials based on different mechanisms are also described, including entry inhibition, inhibition of viral replication, and immunological enhancement. The current challenges and future opportunities in this promising field are also discussed.
Keywords: antiviral strategies; biomaterials; nanomaterials; virus detection and tracking.
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