PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Augusto Varese
AU  - Ana Ceballos
AU  - Carlos Palacios
AU  - Juan Manuel Figueroa
AU  - Andrea Vanesa Dugour
TI  - Iota-carrageenan prevents the replication of SARS-CoV-2 on an in vitro respiratory epithelium model
AID  - 10.1101/2021.04.27.441512
DP  - 2021 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2021.04.27.441512
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/04/27/2021.04.27.441512.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/04/27/2021.04.27.441512.full
AB  - There are, except for remdesivir, no approved antivirals for the treatment or prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Iota-carrageenan formulated into a nasal spray has already been proven safe and effective in viral respiratory infections. We explored this antiviral activity in Calu-3, a human respiratory model cell line. A formula of iota-carrageenan and sodium chloride, as a nasal spray, already approved for human use, effectively inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro, providing a more substantial reference for further clinical studies or developments.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.