Cellular nanosponges could soak up SARS-CoV-2

Scientists are working overtime to find an effective treatment for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Many of these efforts target a specific part of the virus, such as the spike protein. Now, researchers reporting in Nano Letters have taken a different approach, using nanosponges coated with human cell membranes -- the natural targets of the virus -- to soak up SARS-CoV-2 and keep it from infecting cells in a petri dish.