Reversible rearrangement of the cellular cytoskeleton: A key to the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of novel amphiphilic polymers.

The battle against emerging viral infections has been uneven, as there is currently no broad-spectrum drug available to contain the spread of novel pathogens throughout the population. Consequently, the pandemic outbreak that occurred in early 2020 laid bare the almost empty state of the pandemic box. Therefore, the development of novel treatments with broad specificity has become a paramount concern in this post-pandemic era. Here, we propose copolymers of poly (sodium 2-(acrylamido)-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate) (PAMPS) and poly (sodium 11-(acrylamido)undecanoate (AaU), both block (PAMPS-b-PAaU) and random (P(AMPS-co-AaU)) that show efficacy against a broad range of alpha and betacoronaviruses. Owing to their intricate architecture, these polymers exhibit a highly distinctive mode of action, modulating nano-mechanical properties of cells and thereby influencing viral replication. Through the employment of confocal and atomic force microscopy techniques, we discerned perturbations in actin and vimentin filaments, which correlated with modification of cellular elasticity and reduction of glycocalyx layer. Intriguingly, this process was reversible upon polymer removal from the cells. To ascertain the applicability of our findings, we assessed the efficacy and underlying mechanism of the inhibitors using fully differentiated human airway epithelial cultures, wherein near-complete abrogation of viral replication was documented. Given their mode of action, these polymers can be classified as biologically active nanomaterials that exploit a highly conserved molecular target-cellular plasticity-proffering the potential for truly broad-spectrum activity while concurrently for drug resistance development is minimal.