A new nasal spray blocks and neutralizes almost 100% of all viruses and bacteria it was tested on. It was developed by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and could provide broad-spectrum protection against various respiratory infections, including COVID-19, influenza, common cold viruses, and bacteria that cause pneumonia.
The gel is called Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS) and it works by forming a gel-like matrix that traps respiratory droplets, immobilizes germs, and neutralizes them, preventing infection.
From the press release:
The researchers did the experiments detailed in the study under laboratory settings. They have not studied PCANS directly in humans. The researchers developed the formulation and studied its ability to capture respiratory droplets in a 3D-printed replica of a human nose. They showed that when sprayed in the nasal cavity replica, PCANS captured twice as many droplets as mucus alone.
"PCANS forms a gel, increasing its mechanical strength by a hundred times, forming a solid barrier," said primary author John Joseph, PhD, a former postdoctoral fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "It blocked and neutralized almost 100% of all viruses and bacteria we tested, including Influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV, adenovirus, K Pneumonia and more."
Experiments in mice showed that a single dose of the PCANS nasal spray could effectively block infection from an influenza virus (PR8) at 25 times the lethal dose. Virus levels in the lungs were reduced by >99.99%, and the inflammatory cells and cytokines in the lungs of PCANS-treated animals were normal.
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