Limiting the propagation of certain viruses which are transmitted by oral route is a public health issue. This is the case with influenza, COVVI-19 or even herpes viruses. For this, vaccination and barriers have demonstrated their effectiveness. But these prevention means are not accessible to everyone (vaccines, masks) and do not seem sufficient: seasonal flu epidemics that are rampant each winter are responsible for almost 10,000 deaths per year in France, the COVVI-19 virus still circulates, just like the herpes virus which is very widespread in the population. Researchers are therefore interested in other ways to fight more effectively against certain types of viruses. This is the case of American researchers who have developed an antiviral chewing gum.
A vegetable protein capable of “trapping” the virus
To understand how a chewing gum can limit the risk of transmission from one person to another, it is important to remember how the most common viruses spread. They are transmitted by the droplets of saliva and mucus from the mouth and nasal tracks, projected when we speak and when we sneeze. People close to us can inhale these droplets or carry them in their mouths, nose or eyes if their hands have touched contaminated surfaces. The mouth is therefore a viral entrance and output door. Based on this observation, researchers from the Pennsylvania dental school of dental school have developed a chewing gum which quickly reduces the concentration of the virus in the mouth, and therefore the transmission potential.
This chewing gum contains protein drugs encapsulated in vegetable cells. It is made from Lablab Pupureus, A type of bean found in sub -Saharan Africa. This plant contains a protein that can “trap” the virus: the fril, for flt3 receptor interacting lectin. It has the particularity of fixing itself to the sugars present on the surface of viral particles and form of large aggregates (heterogeneous assembly of substances which adhere firmly between them). This prevents the virus from entering the body’s cells.
A chewing gum that has shown its effectiveness on several viruses
Professor Henry Daniell, who led this study published in the journal Molecular Therapy, says that this chewing gum is effective on several Sars-Cov-2 strains (COVID-19 manager). It would have reduced the viral load by more than 95% in saliva or swab samples (nasal sampling) of patients infected with virus. These promising results allowed the validation of a clinical trial by the FDA (Medicines Agency in the United States). The purpose of it is to assess the reduction in viral load after chewing this chewing gum in patients with COVID-19.
Building on this success, the researchers decided to develop a chewing gum allowing to fight against other very widespread problematic viruses: seasonal flu viruses (H1N1, H3N2) and herpes (HSV-1, HSV-2). The team of researchers reveals that their chewing gum made it possible to trap HSV-1 and HSV-2 viruses at 75-94%. After only 15 minutes of chewing (reproduced with a simulator), more than 50% of Fril had been released in the mouth. The influenza viruses have shown that chewing gum had made it possible to neutralize the H1N1 and H3N2 viruses more than 95%.
Researchers say that chewing gum is safe for humans since it complies with the FDA specifications for pharmaceutical products. “”These observations auspicious for the assessment of bean gum in human clinical studies aimed at minimizing the infection/transmission of viruses “rejoices the team of researchers.
Professor Daniell’s team would now like to test the efficiency of this chewing gum on the avian flu virus (H5N1).