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New Delhi: In a significant development with potential implications for public health, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in the US have created an experimental antiviral chewing gum that shows remarkable promise in combating common viral infections. According to a study published in the journal Molecular Therapy, the gum significantly reduced viral loads of herpes simplex and influenza A viruses by over 95% in laboratory models.
The research addresses the ongoing challenges posed by seasonal influenza, which causes substantial illness globally each year, and the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), which affects more than two-thirds of the world’s population and is primarily spread through oral contact. With influenza vaccination rates often suboptimal and no existing vaccine for HSV, the researchers sought innovative preventative strategies.
Targeting the oral cavity as a primary site for viral transmission, the team utilised a protein known as FRIL (FAV-binding lectin), naturally found in lablab beans (Lablab purpureus). This protein acts as an “antiviral trap.” They incorporated FRIL derived from lablab bean powder into a chewing gum formulation.
In their experiments, the gum effectively released the FRIL protein, which then neutralized four specific viruses: herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), and two influenza A strains, H1N1 and H3N2. The study demonstrated that a two-gram piece of gum containing 40 milligrams of the bean-derived material was sufficient to achieve a viral load reduction exceeding 95%.
Crucially, the researchers prepared the gum according to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifications for clinical-grade drug products and preliminary assessments indicated it was safe within the study’s parameters.
“These observations augur well for evaluating bean gum in human clinical studies to minimise virus infection/transmission,” stated Henry Daniell, a Professor at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine and a lead researcher on the project.
The team sees broad potential for this approach. “Controlling transmission of viruses continues to be a major global challenge,” Daniell added. He highlighted the innovation of using a broad-spectrum antiviral protein from a natural food source like bean powder to neutralize not only human flu viruses but potentially avian (bird) flu as well – a timely consideration given recent outbreaks impacting North America. The researchers are now exploring the use of the lablab bean powder to combat bird flu transmission.
This novel chewing gum represents a potential new tool in the fight against viral spread, offering a simple delivery mechanism for antiviral agents directly at a key site of infection and transmission.
Disclaimer: The research described in this article is based on experimental models and laboratory testing. The antiviral chewing gum is currently in the developmental stage and is not approved by the FDA or available for public use. Further research, including human clinical trials, is necessary to establish its safety and effectiveness in preventing or treating viral infections in humans.(https://zeenews.india.com/health/researchers-develop-antiviral-chewing-gum-that-reduces-herpes-and-flu-viral-infections-by-over-95-2882191)
