Theoretical Design of Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles as Antiviral Agents against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

In this research, through the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the ability of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized by different groups, such as 3-mercaptoethylsulfonate (Mes), undecanesulfonic acid (Mus), octanethiol (Ot), and a new peptide, to inhibit severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was investigated. According to the crystal structure of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which binds to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD), 15 amino acids of ACE2 have considerable interaction with RBD. Therefore, a new peptide based on these amino acids was designed as the functional group for AuNP. On the basis of the obtained results, functionalized AuNPs have remarkable effects on the RBD and strongly interact with this protein of SARS-CoV-2. Among the studied nanoparticles, the AuNP functionalized by new peptide forms a more stable complex with RBD in comparison with ACE2, which is the human receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Different analyses confirm that the designed AuNPs can be good candidates for antiviral agents against COVID-19 disease.