Pre-Treatment with Zirconia Nanoparticles Reduces Inflammation Induced by the Pathogenic H5N1 Influenza Virus

Huo, Caiyun; Xiao, Jin; Xiao, Kai; Zou, Shumei; Wang, Ming; Qi, Peng; Liu, Tianlong; Hu, Yanxin

In recent years, a large number of rapidly-spreading viral outbreaks have placed considerable demands on healthcare infrastructure, sparking global concern. 1,2 The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2002, 3 the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009, 4-6 pandemics of the H5N1 and H5N7 strains of influenza A virus (IAV), 7 and the devastating Ebola and Zika virus epidemics of 2014 and 2015 illustrate the severity of these outbreaks. 8, 9 Among these viruses, avian influenza virus H5N1 has attracted a great deal of attention due to its rapid spread and high pathogenicity worldwide. 10, 11 The leading cause of death in infected patients is diffuse alveolar damage and hemorrhage in the lungs, which is caused by overactive inflammatory responses. 12, 13 Overproduction of inflammatory cytokines in H5N1-infected mice and humans, referred to as a cytokine storm, has been identified as the main cause of death associated with this virus. 14, 15 Vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure against influenza viruses. Nevertheless, vaccination effectiveness is decreasing as new variants arise through antigenic drifts or shifts. 16 Although some antiviral drugs such as zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu) are currently in use, the increasing emergence of drug-resistant strains affects their clinical application. 17, 18 Therefore, development of novel broad-spectrum prophylactic and therapeutic agents against IAV is urgently needed.