2023-11-07 01:37:57
A spray-type coronavirus vaccine that can be sprayed into the nose is being developed. The photo shows a model of the coronavirus./News 1
A coronavirus nasal spray vaccine that can be simply sprayed into the nose is being developed. It is expected that it can be used not only for coronavirus but also for other respiratory disease vaccines, such as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine.
A research team at the University of Maryland announced that it had developed a coronavirus nasal spray vaccine and confirmed in preclinical trials that it can reduce coronavirus infection and spread. The research team said, “Because the virus stops replicating in the respiratory tract before it enters the bloodstream, convenience and effectiveness are improved over existing injections.” The research results were published in ‘Nature Communications’ on the 6th (local time).
Coronavirus enters the body through the nose or mouth and replicates in epithelial cells. Vaccine injections mainly create immunity to coronavirus in the bloodstream. This means that the virus must enter the body and replicate in the blood to be detected by the body’s immune system. On the other hand, the nasal spray vaccine builds immunity in cells in the nose, mouth, and throat, blocking the virus before it enters the blood.
The research team used a protein called ‘neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)’ to transport the corona spike protein to the respiratory tract. Through animal experiments, the corona spike protein was attached to FcRn and sprayed into the noses of mice, and the mice were then exposed to Wuhan Corona, Delta, and Omicron. As a result, all mice that were not vaccinated died, and all mice that were administered the vaccine survived.
The team found that the nasal spray vaccine triggered a much stronger immune response in the airways and lungs. It was also confirmed that the nasal vaccine blocks airborne infections more than the intramuscular vaccine. Because the coronavirus can exist in the air for up to 9 to 12 hours, preventing airborne infection is of utmost importance. The research team said, “The nasal vaccine is easy to administer and will be able to effectively prevent infection.”
The United States is operating ‘Project NextGen’, which develops next-generation vaccines with a budget of 5 billion dollars. Through this, the plan is to develop original technologies such as nasal spray vaccines and self-amplifying mRNA vaccines to respond to future infectious diseases.
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