A research conducted by a team at the University of Pittsburgh shows that a nasal spray made from algae and a plant in the tobacco family could offer a preventive measure for COVID-19.
The study indicates that the researchers are making a molecule called Q-griffithsin by using an anti-viral protein found in plants that are from the same family as tobacco plants, they are New Zealand red algae Griffithsia and Nicotiana benthamiana. The Griffithsia has shown that it can prevent coronaviruses from infecting healthy cells by binding itself on the surfaces.
What is Q-griffithsin?
According to the research team, the great thing about Q-griffithsin is that it has a number of activities against pathogens and other viruses. Lisa Rohan, a professor in the pharmaceutical sciences department at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and one of the lead researchers on the collaboration said that Q-griffithsin has been shown to be effective against Ebola, hepatitis, and herpes, as well as a broad spectrum of coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS.
The research team wants to develop a nasal spray for people at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, such as emergency medical service workers, health care workers, and those with weak immune systems. The spray won't replace any COVID-19 vaccines, but it can provide an effective level of defense against the coronavirus for immune-compromised individuals who can't take vaccines.
The team added that the vaccine will be specific for COVID-19, while the nasal spray that they aim to develop can be used for a broad spectrum of diseases. Given the broad-spectrum activity of Q-griffithsin against coronaviruses, it has the potential to prevent future infections.
Researchers developed the drug into a nasal spray to help fight COVID-19 because the virus enters through the mouth and nose, which the spray can immediately target before it spreads and infects the lungs and create more complications. Though the researchers use tobacco plants to manufacture the proteins, people who use the spray won't suffer from any harmful effects linked to inhaling or ingesting tobacco.
The researchers regard plants as a safe production platform for biopharmaceuticals. Rohan's lab developed formulations for Q-griffithsin as a potential preventative for human immunodeficiency virus or HIV.
The HIV preventive project of Rohan's lab received funding from the National Institutes of Health's Division of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. But after seeing the rapid spread of COVID-19, Rohan and her colleagues looked back at their previous data that indicates the effectiveness of Q-griffithsin against other forms of coronavirus.
According to Rohan, the nasal spray is a product that already has a nice safety profile and it has an application that has allowed it to move forward in the clinic. They believe that the product is something that they can advance in a realistic way. She added that with proper funding, they are hoping to move the product into the clinic before the end of the year.
Coronavirus update
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the world to a halt. There are more than 4.2 million people who are now infected worldwide, with 284,150 deaths and the vaccine may take months before it can be developed and distributed, the nasal spray may help flatten the curve and safe lives.
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