Several US researchers have discovered a nasal antiviral that blocks the transmission of coronavirus, including new strains.
It is worth mentioning – the studies have been done so far on ferrets, but scientists say that it could work in humans as well. Animals are highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 virus infection and have lungs similar to humans.
The study was recently published in the journal Science. The formula tested for the nasal antiviral recognizes the Spike (S) protein of the coronavirus and prevents it from binding to the cell membrane to infect cells.
The research showed that all ferrets that did not receive this spray were infected – they were in a cage with a carrier of the virus. Tests have shown that the antiviral also worked for the new strains.
Researchers at Columbia University in the United States want to go further and start clinical trials on humans.
Photo: Unsplash / Diana Polekhina
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