Nasal Spray Shows Promise in Protecting Against Respiratory Infections

A new study shows how a nasal spray formulated by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital “may work to protect against viral and bacterial respiratory infections.”

Influenza and COVID-19 infections “cause thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of cases of severe disease every year.” Vaccines and masks provide important protection, but more can still be done.

Most viruses “enter our system through the nose. When we catch an airborne infection like the flu and COVID, we breathe out tiny droplets of fluids that contain the pathogen.” The research team attempted to “create a nasal spray to defend against airborne respiratory illness.” The spray, which is called “Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS) in the paper, was developed using ingredients from the FDA’s Inactive Ingredient Database (IID), which have been previously used in approved nasal sprays, or from the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list of the FDA.”

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.” According to primary study author John Joseph, 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 also showed promising results.