The pandemic highlighted the seriousness of respiratory infections and the need for effective prevention methods. Each year, flu and coronavirus infections cause hundreds of thousands of cases of serious illness, hospitalizations, and even death. To meet this challenge, scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed an innovative drug-free nasal spray that has the ability to block viruses from entering the nasal cavity.
As respiratory viruses, such as the influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2, are mainly transmitted through the air, health authorities are looking for new methods of protection. Dr. Jeffrey Karp, co-author of the study and distinguished professor of Anesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, emphasized the need for new strategies: “The pandemic has shown us how dangerous respiratory pathogens can be in a very short period of time. It’s not just the flu we’re dealing with seasonally, but also COVID-19.”
PCANS nasal spray
The nasal spray, called Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS), has been developed using safe, FDA-approved ingredients. As explained by Dr. Nitin Joshi, one of the study’s authors and a professor of anesthesiology, “we created a drug-free formula using ingredients that block microorganisms in three ways.” Practically PCANS forms a gel that traps the droplets containing the pathogens and inactivates them preventing infection.
Experimental tests in laboratory models have shown that the spray can trap twice as many droplets as natural nasal mucus.
In experimental tests on mice, one dose of PCANS was able to prevent influenza virus infection, reducing virus levels by 99.99% in the lungs. Dr. Yohannes Tesfaigzi, co-author and Professor of Medicine, said: “the formula’s ability to inactivate a wide range of pathogens indicates its high efficacy.”
Although the tests have only been carried out on experimental models, the results show great promise for the future of health protection. Researchers are looking into the possibility that PCANS could also be used to prevent allergies.
As long as respiratory infections remain a serious threat to public health, PCANS can be an important addition to the prevention toolkit. As pointed out by Dr. Karp, “we need new, additional methods to protect ourselves and reduce the transmission of disease.” If the results are confirmed in humans, this nasal spray could change the way we treat respiratory diseases by offering a safe and effective method of protection.
