Sound waves already used in medical examinations may now have a surprising new target: viruses.
In laboratory experiments, scientists demonstrated how ultrasound explosions can decompose flu and COVID-19 viruses.
According to a recent study in Scientific Reportsthe microscopic vibrations caused by ultrasound waves are enough to rupture the membranes surrounding viral particles, experiments have shown, rendering the viruses inactive.
The research was led by a team at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and could one day lead to a alternative to antivirals.
“It’s a bit like fighting the virus with a shout”jokes the computational physicist Odemir Brunofrom the University of São Paulo, at.
“We proved that the sound wave energy causes morphological changes in viral particles until they explode – like popcorn”, he adds.
The idea is that the frequency of the sound wave matches the natural vibrational frequency of the viral envelope, leading to amplified vibrations that destroy it. Essentially, only the virus responds to sound wave energy, not the host cells.
The researchers also emphasize that viral particles like those tested are spherical – the ideal shape for ultrasound sensitivity.
“The phenomenon is entirely geometric”says Bruno. “Spherical particles, like many enveloped viruses, absorb the energy of ultrasonic waves more effectively. It is this accumulation of energy inside the particle that causes changes in the structure of the viral envelope until it ruptures”, he adds.
If these particles were triangular or squareon the contrary, the impacts would not be the same.
The team believes the new approach will work on other viral infections, and has already began investigating how dengue, Zika and Chikungunya may be targeted in the same way.
As Science Alert writes, generally, usersUltrasounds are painless, non-invasive, easy to apply and can be precisely targetedso researchers have explored several new ways to use them, including for brain pain relief and cancer treatment.
It is important to highlight that, despite being exciting, this discovery is not yet a treatment.
