New Nasal Spray that Protects against All COVID-19 Variants to Start Human Trials

A newly-developed nasal spray which can protect people against all the variants of the COVID-19 is set to begin human trials after successfully clearing laboratory tests.

Researchers at the University of Washington and Northwestern University contend that the spray comprises “potent” proteins that focus on the virus’s vulnerable links in an effort to stop infection, thereby making the treatment more efficient, reported the Good News Network.

This comes in the wake of vaccines becoming increasingly ineffective in the wake of the evolving coronavirus. Additionally, many antibody-based therapeutic interventions were also called off in the U.S. after proving ineffectual in protecting people against the BA2 subvariant of the Omicron.

In the current nasal spray intervention, scientists made use of supercomputers to reconstruct proteins, referred to as ‘minibinders’, to make them more effective in destabilizing the virus. After carrying out clinical tests on mice, researchers found the drug to successfully minimize symptoms and even avert infections.

The University of Washington’s School of Medicine Professor Michael Jewett said, “Our minibinders sit on top of the spike protein like a tripod and block all three. The interaction between the spike protein and our antiviral is among the tightest interactions known in biology.” He added, “When we put the spike protein and our antiviral therapeutic in a test tube together for a week, they stayed connected and never fell apart.”