A Drug-Free Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Nasal Spray to Prevent Emerging Respiratory Infections

Joseph, J.; Baby, H. M.; Quintero, J. R.; Kenney, D.; Mebratu, Y.; Bhatia, E.; Shah, P.; Swain, K.; Kaur, S.; Li, X. L.; Mwangi, J.; Snapper, O.; Nair, R.; Agus, E.; Ranganathan, S.; Kage, J.; Gao, J.; Luo, J. N.; Yu, A.; Douam, F.; Tesfaigzi, Y.; Karp, J.; Joshi, N.

doi:10.1101/2023.10.02.560602

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2023.10.02.560602

A Drug-Free Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Nasal Spray to Prevent Emerging Respiratory Infections

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Abstract

Respiratory infections pose a global health crisis. Vaccines are pathogen specific, and new vaccines are needed for mutants and emerging pathogens. Here, we report a "drug free" prophylactic platform - a "Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray" (PCANS) that acts via a multi-pronged approach to prevent a broad spectrum of respiratory infections. PCANS forms a protective coating in the nasal cavity that enhances the capture of large respiratory droplets. The coating acts as a physical barrier against a broad spectrum of viruses and bacteria, and rapidly neutralizes them, reducing the pathogen load by >99.99%. In mice, PCANS showed nasal retention for at least 8 h and was safe for daily administration. A single prophylactic dose of PCANS protected mice against supra-lethal dosages of a mouse-adapted H1N1 Influenza virus (PR8), reduced lung viral titer by >99.99%, improved survival, and suppressed pathological manifestations. Together, our data suggest PCANS as a promising daily-use prophylactic approach against current and emerging respiratory infections.

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Joseph, J., Baby, H. M., Quintero, J. R., Kenney, D., Mebratu, Y., Bhatia, E., Shah, P., Swain, K., Kaur, S., Li, X. L., Mwangi, J., Snapper, O., Nair, R., Agus, E., Ranganathan, S., Kage, J., Gao, J., Luo, J. N., Yu, A., Douam, F., Tesfaigzi, Y., Karp, J., Joshi, N.. 2023-10-03. A Drug-Free Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Nasal Spray to Prevent Emerging Respiratory Infections. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.02.560602

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