New research published in Advanced Materials reports a novel nasal spray for preventing respiratory infections. The spray works by forming a protective coating on the nasal cavity, which captures airborne respiratory droplets and acts as a physical barrier against viruses and bacteria, while effectively neutralizing them.
In studies conducted on mice, the Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS) demonstrated up to 8 hours of nasal retention. In a severe Influenza A model, a single pre-exposure dose of PCANS resulted in a greater than 99.99% reduction in lung viral titers. Treated mice achieved complete protection, in stark contrast to the untreated group, which showed no protection.
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“PCANS has the potential to provide an additional layer of protection against respiratory infections when traditional measures like masks and vaccines fall short,” said corresponding author Nitin Joshi, PhD, an Assistant Professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. “With its broad-spectrum activity, it could offer defense against emerging variants of the flu, RSV, COVID-19, and beyond.”
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