Methods for lowering the infection rate of viruses

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method of reducing a likelihood of a pathogen binding to cell structures of a host comprises at least partially blocking the pathogen from binding to cell structures of the host as a result of competitive inhibition by delivering a carrier to the host, and at least partially reducing the likelihood of the pathogen binding to target areas of cell structures of the host.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reducing a likelihood of a pathogen binding to cell structures of a host, the method comprising:
 at least partially blocking the pathogen from binding to cell structures of the host as a result of competitive inhibition by delivering a carrier to the host;   wherein the carrier comprises a core having an exterior surface, a plurality of surface features extending from the exterior surface of the core, and a plurality of binding sites along the exterior surface;   wherein the surface features are configured to bind to target areas of cell structures of the host, wherein binding of the carrier to at least one of the target areas of cell structures of the host is configured to at least partially block the pathogen from binding to said target areas;   wherein the surface features at least partially physically mimic naturally-occurring protrusions of the pathogen; and   wherein the surface features are configured to comprise immune stimulating properties; and   at least partially reducing the likelihood of the pathogen binding to target areas of cell structures of the host;   wherein a size of the carrier is in the nanometer to micrometer range.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pathogen comprises a virus. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the virus is one or more of the following: a coronavirus, a SARS-CoV-2 virus, an influenza virus, a rhinovirus, a norovirus, a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), another virus that impacts the respiratory system and any other type of virus. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pathogen comprises a bacterium, a parasite, an antigen, a prion, a mold, a fungus or an allergen. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the naturally-occurring protrusions of the pathogen comprise proteins similar to the protruding proteins at the surface of the viral exterior. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier is sized, shaped or otherwise configured to reach targeted portions of the host that are susceptible to infection by the pathogen. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the targeted portions of the host that are susceptible to infection by the pathogen comprise the lungs or other area of the host's upper or lower respiratory tract. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier is configured to be delivered via the respiratory tract of the host to the targeted portions of the host that are susceptible to infection by the pathogen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises at least one coating that improves a binding affinity of the carrier to the pathogen relative to a binding affinity of the cell structures of the host to the pathogen. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one component positioned at least partially on and/or within carrier. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one component comprises a pharmaceutical agent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pharmaceutical agent comprises at least one of an anti-viral compound, a nucleic acid and a RNA or a DNA sequence 
     
     
         13 . A method of reducing a likelihood of a pathogen binding to cell structures of a host, the method comprising:
 at least partially blocking the pathogen from binding to cell structures of the host as a result of competitive inhibition by delivering a carrier to the host;   wherein the carrier comprise a core, surface features extending from an exterior surface of the core, and a plurality of binding sites along the exterior surface, wherein the binding sites are configured to attract at least one portion of the pathogen;   wherein the surface features are configured to bind to target areas of cell structures of the host to at least partially block the pathogen from binding to said target areas;   wherein the surface features comprise immune stimulating properties; and   wherein the binding sites are configured to at least partially mimic binding sites of the host; and   at least partially reducing the likelihood of the pathogen binding to target areas of cell structures of the host.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pathogen comprises a virus. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the virus is one or more of the following: a coronavirus, a SARS-CoV-2 virus, an influenza virus, a rhinovirus, a norovirus, a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), another virus that impacts the respiratory system and any other type of virus. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pathogen comprises a bacterium, a parasite, an antigen, a prion, a mold, a fungus or an allergen. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the carrier is sized, shaped and otherwise configured to reach targeted portions of the host that are susceptible to infection by the pathogen, the targeted portions of the host that are susceptible to infection by the pathogen comprise the lungs or other area of the host's respiratory tract. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the carrier is configured to be delivered via a respiratory tract of the host to the targeted portions of the host that are susceptible to infection by the pathogen. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising at least one component positioned at least partially on and/or within carrier. 
     
     
         20 . A method of reducing a likelihood of a pathogen binding to cell structures of a host, the method comprising:
 at least partially blocking the pathogen from binding to cell structures of the host via competitive inhibition by delivering a carrier to the host;   wherein the carrier comprises a core, surface features extending from an exterior surface of the core, and a plurality of binding sites along the exterior surface, wherein the binding sites are configured to attract at least one portion of the pathogen;   wherein the surface features are configured to bind to target areas of cell structures of the host; and   at least partially reducing the likelihood of the pathogen binding to target areas of cell structures of the host.