Reactive oxygen species-responsive virus-mimicking nanodrug for the treatment of influenza A virus infection

Drug therapy is an important measure to reduce the morbidity and mortality of influenza. However, small molecule drugs have inherent limitations, such as poor water solubility, non-specific biological distribution, and susceptibility to degradation during blood circulation, which impose a great burden on patients, both physically and mentally. Inspired by the high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the site of influenza A virus (IAV) infection, we have developed an intelligent responsive virus-mimicking nanodrug (Zana@HA-Lip) based on a biomimetic approach, reduces the damage of the drug to normal tissues or organs while achieving the purpose of antiviral therapy by precisely releasing the drug at the lesion site. Zana@HA-Lip offers distinct advantages regarding lesion site tropism, duration of action, and efficiency of release in response to ROS. This work not only presents a safe and effective strategy for alleviating lung injury caused by IAV infection but also introduces a new concept for the precise customization of virus-mimicking nanocarriers.