Researchers from Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) are developing a groundbreaking nasal spray that could revolutionize the fight against COVID-19 and influenza. The spray, made from non-drug ingredients already used in other products, has shown remarkable success in lab tests, proving to be 99.99% effective at blocking these viruses. report from Yahoo.
COVID-19 and flu viruses often enter the body through the nose, making it a key battleground for infection control. The new nasal spray works by forming a protective gel along the nasal passages, trapping and neutralizing harmful pathogens before they can reach the lungs. Although the spray has not yet been tested on humans, it has demonstrated significant promise in lab mice.
“We dosed the animals with 25 times the lethal amount of the virus,” said Dr. Nitin Joshi, assistant professor at BWH and Harvard Medical School. “Before that, we gave some of them a single dose of the Pathogen Capture & Neutralizing Spray. We found that all the treated mice were completely protected, while those that did not receive the spray showed no benefit.”
Dr. Joshi explained that when researchers examined the lungs of the untreated mice, they found high levels of the virus, whereas no trace of the virus was detected in the lungs of the treated group. These results highlight the potential of the nasal spray as a powerful defense against viral infections.
While the spray’s ingredients are already listed in the FDA’s Inactive Ingredient Database and recognized as safe, Dr. Joshi emphasizes the need for further testing before it can be used in humans. However, he is optimistic that clinical trials can be fast-tracked, given the familiarity with the spray’s components.
If approved, the nasal spray could serve as a complementary tool to existing vaccines, providing an additional layer of protection. “While vaccines are crucial, they take time to develop and may not be fully effective against new variants,” Dr. Joshi noted. The spray could act as a quick-response solution to viral outbreaks, especially in situations where vaccines may fall short. told by U.S News.
Despite the encouraging results, it may take several years before the nasal spray becomes available to the public. Researchers are hopeful that its eventual distribution could greatly enhance global efforts to prevent and control respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and the flu, offering a simpler and more accessible form of protection.
