To prevent covid cases after exposure situations, scientists at Stanford University develop the next day spray. Tests are still needed
Have you ever thought about meeting friends, going to a concert or even taking the bus without fear of contracting covid-19, even if someone coughs and sneezes next to you? From a morning-after spray against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, scientists at Stanford University in the United States have been working on this almost magical solution to the disease.
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It is worth mentioning that, in medicine, different diseases or conditions can be combated based on the planning of the potential spray. This is the case with Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV or the next pill to prevent pregnancy. The big difference is that these two strategies should only be used when needed, while the technology to prevent the infection of the covid-19 virus could have a more everyday use.
However, the team of American scientists is still in the spray development phase, but in recent weeks they have discovered that a solution of this type is feasible in the laboratory, as they explain in an article published in the scientific journal Cell.
Is it possible to have a spray against covid-19?
“Our upper airways are the gateway not only for infection in our lungs, but also for transmission [de um vírus] for other people,” explains Peter Jackson, professor of microbiology at Stanford, in a statement. In this way, the spray would “only” serve to prevent the infection from settling in the nose and throat.
To understand the feasibility of the process, Jackson and his team created airway epithelial organoids, which mimic normal airways with characteristic mucus and hair cells, and infected them with the COVID-19 virus. The original stock has been used.
According to the authors, coronaviruses initially connect to and infect only hair cells and can remain concentrated in this region for more than 24 hours. Full invasion begins only after 48 hours. In real life, the weather would be similar, according to previous studies.
“It is clear that human nasal ciliated epithelial cells are the major entry site for SARS-CoV-2 into nasal epithelial tissue,” Jackson points out. “Once the virus crosses this barrier, it can replicate freely in the underlying cells,” she adds.
Indeed, this mechanism was quite similar when the organoid was exposed respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the Ômicron strain BA.1. In the latest experiment, the process was a little faster, but still followed the same pattern. At this stage, regardless of the virus, it is possible to inactivate the infection before it settles down, according to experiments.
“Slowing the entry, exit or spread of the virus with a topically applied short-acting drug would help our immune systems recover and arrive in time to stop full-blown infection. [a estratégia] it would limit future pandemics”, concludes the scientist. Now, the idea is to extend the tests to animal models and, in the future, to test on humans.
Source: Cell And Stanford University
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Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
