Scientists and researchers were able to formulate a breakthrough against the SARS-CoV2, also known as COVID-19, with a new Lipoprotein nasal spray that directly kills the virus before it infects cells. The new spray is promising to have easier transportation methods as lipoproteins do not require rigorous storage requirements adept for developing countries.
The coronavirus pandemic is still plaguing the world since the start of 2020 from its initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, that quickly spread globally, having no knowledge and counter-measures against the virus.
COVID-19 launched the world's experts and scholars on the hunt for the best cure available to man, and so far, nobody has created the perfect or absolute answer that would end the pandemic. Lockdown measures and quarantine kept the whole world at bay and still for almost a year.
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COVID-19 Nasal Spray: Columbia, Cornell, etc. work on a virus-killing concoction
According to Extreme Tech, a new direction is taken by scientists from Columbia University, Cornell University, and other medical experts by using lipoproteins for a nasal spray concoction to fight against COVID-19. The new formulation would stop the virus from getting close to the cells and kills it instantly upon contact.
The SARS-CoV2 virus is a causative respiratory agent who needs to get close to cells and inject its RNA genome (ribonucleic acid) to reproduce itself on the human body and kill the original host cell in the process. This is the procedure in which COVID-19 replicates itself and infects the human body.
Scientists from Columbia University, Cornell University, etc., are working together to improve the nasal spray that is based on "lipopeptide proteins." The group recently published its research on bioRxiv's preprint servers which explains the importance of the proteins.
COVID-19: It's All in the Proteins, Ferrets as Initial Test Subjects
The notorious "spike protein" of the coronavirus is what enables it to latch itself on a normal human cell and infect all the other cells in the vicinity. This course of action would start in the respiratory system that would lead to several of the complications of COVID-19, including pneumonia, colds, coughs, fever, and other flu-like symptoms.
The researchers now took advantage of the inhibitory lipopeptide that would not only contain the virus and prevent it from entering deep into the human body but also kill it on-the-spot. According to the preprint in bioRxiv, ferrets were the first test subjects of the formulation.
The reason behind this is that ferrets get infected the same way human's respiratory systems react to the virus. The control group got infected with a direct-contact infection while those sprayed with the lipopeptide are "100 percent" safe from the virus.
Lipoproteins: Best for Easy Transportation, Highly Stable and Non-toxic
Lipopeptides are lipoproteins which are highly-stable, non-toxic, and safe for "intranasal prophylactic approach" against COVID-19. A similar nasal spray was introduced by UCSF called AeroNabs which protects against COVID and acts like PPEs, but does not kill the virus.
The group promises that it would soon conduct human trials after completing a mix that is intended for people. Additionally, lipoproteins are undemanding of transportation requirements, making it the best to deliver rapidly and easily.
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Written by Isaiah Alonzo
