Game-changing nose spray promises to stop flu in its tracks
A nasal spray that blocks flu at the door could transform how we fight winter bugs, researchers in the Netherlands and the US believe.
Dutch biotech team Leyden Laboratories, working with scientists at Harvard University, is developing a spray loaded with a broad-spectrum antibody designed to snare influenza viruses in the nasal cavity - before they can invade the body.
According to NRC, the experimental treatment has already prevented infection in mice and monkeys.
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Early-stage tests in 143 healthy volunteers found that the spray was safe, and twice-daily doses maintained high antibody levels in the nose.
The potential breakthrough centres on a lab-made antibody that disrupts the virus's ability to latch onto our cells, reports NL Times.
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In lab studies, the antibody was successful at targeting human and some animal flu viruses, which is important because the flu constantly mutates, forcing vaccines to be updated every year and leaving protection patchy.
Right now, the best tool we have is the seasonal jab. It saves lives, but its ability to prevent infection varies.
Globally, flu claims an estimated 650,000 lives a year - numbers that weigh heaviest on older people, those with long-term conditions, and working families who can’t afford weeks off sick.
By delivering antibodies straight to the nose - the front door for most flu infections - the spray could, in theory, offer broader, faster protection without needing yearly reformulation.
Researchers also hope it could help blunt the threat from animal-origin strains, such as bird flu, which experts have long warned could adapt to spread more easily in humans.
The spray is still in the experimental phase, and only larger clinical trials can prove whether it truly prevents flu in people going about their daily lives.
For now, vaccines remain essential, especially for vulnerable groups.