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.
Competing Interest Statement
J.J., H.M.B, Y.T., and J.M.K have one pending patent based on the PCANS formulation described in this manuscript. N.J. and J.M.K are paid consultants, scientific advisory board members, and hold equity in Akita Bio, a company that has licensed IP generated by N.J. that may benefit financially if the IP is further validated. The interests of N.J. were reviewed and are subject to a management plan overseen by his institution in accordance with its conflict of interest policies. J.M.K has been a paid consultant and or equity holder for multiple companies (listed here: https://www.karplab.net/team/jeff-karp).
