Covid, a nasal spray stops the infection with all the variations

Codename: TriSb92. It is a molecule developed by a team of researchers from the University of Helsinki which, if administered nasally, is extremely effective in preventing the disease caused by all the known variants of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus. A discovery that brings science closer to the finish line of an anti-Covid nasal spray, able to offer a shield effect even against contagion. Precisely as it aims to prevent both the transmission and spread of the virus, explain the experts describing the results of their tests on Nature Communicationsthe molecule may be a key tool in preparing against future pandemics.

In laboratory animal studies, it has been confirmed that the molecule offers effective protection against coronavirus infection: it identifies a region in the Spike protein common to all current variants of the virus and inhibits its functioning. “The experiments conducted in cell cultures – explains the postdoctoral researcher Anna R. Mäkelä of the research group of the professor Kalle Saksela – indicate that” the protection “also includes the most recent variants, including XBB”, christened on social networks Gryphon, “BF7 and BQ.1.1” Cerberus. The animal models, highlight the scientists, have also shown that, “unlike the masks”, the molecule can, if sprayed into the nose, prevent infection even after a few hours of exposure.

For the elderly and immunocompromised

According to experts, the molecule remains fully functional at room temperature for at least 18 months, making it suitable for use as a nasal spray. While the worst phase of the pandemic is, at least for now, over, nasal protection can be a crucial aid in preventing the virus from spreading in the future, they note. “The latest Covid variants can effectively escape the immune protection provided by both vaccines and the disease, and current vaccines are not effective at preventing transmission,” says Mäkelä. The nasal spray is therefore strategic and can protect against serious diseases those people who do not get sufficient immunity from vaccines, such as the immunocompromised and the elderly.

Will it also work with relatives of the coronavirus?

According to the researchers, the molecule could also work against future close relatives of SARS-CoV-2 of animal origin, which could be the cause of entirely new coronavirus pandemics. “Since the region of the coronavirus spike protein affected by the TriSb92 molecule has remained almost unchanged in all viral variants that have emerged so far, it can be assumed that it is also effective against future variants of Sars-CoV-2,” Mäkelä further confirms. “TriSb92, produced simply and cheaply, could be a very important first line of defense to curb a new pandemic, pending vaccine development, production and distribution,” she adds.

A technology applicable to other viruses

According to the researchers, the technology used is also applicable to the prevention of many other viral diseases, especially influenza and other respiratory viruses. “The whole approach – explains Mäkelä – derives from a technical solution based on a platform developed in Finland, which was not originally intended for the development of an antiviral drug. This offers an opportunity for many other new initiatives based on the accurate identification of diseased cells or pathogens in patients”. Next step: in the meantime, the molecule must be tested in clinical trials, after which it could be made commercially available. “And the successful commercialization of a nasal spray could lead to the creation of a thriving Finnish business,” Mäkelä points out.