logo
OSU researchers create nasal spray that could stop the flu; blocks infection in mice

OSU researchers create nasal spray that could stop the flu; blocks infection in mice

Yahoo24-05-2025

An antibody that could revolutionize the prevention of influenza, other viruses and even non-viral diseases like cancer was recently engineered by Ohio State scientists.
In a study published April 29, this new molecule was successful in protecting a majority of the tested mice from lethal flu doses, even preventing some from experiencing any symptoms at all, according to a May 8 Ohio State News article.
Head researcher and the study's co-lead author Dr. Kai Xu said the engineered molecule — transmitted via nasal spray — works by triggering 'mucosal immunity,' meaning it coats the tissue that lines the body's organs and tracts before a virus can enter.
By contrast, current flu vaccines rely on 'systemic immunity,' which fights the virus after infection. Xu said combining both immune responses into one engineered antibody could 'enhance the protection' of conventional, injection-based vaccines.
'Our creation can complement the conventional vaccine in terms of targeting to prevent the seasonal flu infection,' Xu, also an Ohio State assistant professor of veterinary biosciences, said. 'It can be a replacement, but we believe that these two can synergize with each other.'
Researchers created the new antibody by combining two existing ones: immunoglobulin G, which makes up most antibodies in the human body and has two 'arms' to target specific viruses, and immunoglobulin M, the immune system's first line of defense with 10 'arms' to attack infection.
Traditionally, flu prevention has focused on IgG. The problem, Xu said, is that the flu virus can mutate, making it harder for IgG to identify and fight it. IgM, however, can still latch onto the virus even if a part of it changes, thanks to its many arms.
By combining IgM's 'stickiness' with IgG's precision, Xu said his lab engineered an antibody that could neutralize the flu more effectively than either antibody alone.
When tested on mice using a nasal spray, Xu said the antibody successfully stuck to their mucosal surfaces for a week, protecting most from lethal doses of common flu strains. Xu said this finding suggests the antibody could work similarly in humans.
If used to complement existing flu vaccines, the engineered antibody would be especially beneficial not only in years when medical professionals inaccurately predict the specific strain that spreads during flu season, but also for individuals who don't have a strong immune response to vaccines, Xu said.
Since this study was published, Xu said his team has continued its analysis to work toward a large-animal experiment — which is necessary before a clinical trial can take place — and optimizing the molecule's production so large amounts can be obtained quickly for further testing.
Xu said his team is also working on expanding the scope of this study to other kinds of illness beyond influenza — from bird flu to cancer to coronavirus. By working with other research programs at Ohio State and pharmaceutical company IGM Biosciences, Xu said he hopes his team's research can one day become a therapeutic drug.
'This research really benefits from multidisciplinary collaboration,' Xu said. 'I think that by enhancing the collaboration within OSU and even with the industry partner in the future, we will certainly enhance our research for a national medicine.'
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com, or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OSU study finds new antibody to prevent the flu through nasal spray

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tiny fragment of asteroid giving Field Museum scientists a glimpse 4.6 billion years into the past
Tiny fragment of asteroid giving Field Museum scientists a glimpse 4.6 billion years into the past

CBS News

time14 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Tiny fragment of asteroid giving Field Museum scientists a glimpse 4.6 billion years into the past

The Field Museum is the new temporary home to a tiny piece of pristine asteroid. The fragment of the asteroid Bennu, on loan from NASA, won't be on display for visitors, but will give scientists the chance to study an asteroid sample uncontaminated by Earth's atmosphere. A tiny, black fragment might not seem exciting, until a scientist explains it's a specimen from space. "It's an honor of a lifetime to be able to study this sample," said Field Museum curator Dr. Philipp Heck. How did Heck feel when the little rock first arrived at the museum and he held the vial containing the sample? "It was amazing. I was looking forward to that moment for a long time," he said. NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission was planned decades ago. In 2016, a spacecraft launched. In 2018, it arrived at Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid as wide as the Sears Tower is tall. The mission collected pieces of the asteroid and brought them back to Earth in 2023. "This is the first U.S. mission that sends a spacecraft to the asteroid and brings a sample back to Earth," said University of Chicago graduate student Yuke Zheng, who is part of the OSIRIS-REx sample analysis team. "It's a tiny, dark, black fragment that is fragile, so we want to protect it very carefully." She'll use the museum's scanning electron microscope to get an up-close look at a tiny sample of Bennu. "What struck me is how dark the sample is. I had never seen such a dark sample," Heck said. The fragment is like a time capsule, taking scientists back 4.6 billion years. "We believe Bennu contains part of the ingredients for life, and part of the ingredients of the formation of Earth," Heck said. Suddenly, a fragment at the bottom of a vial can have you pondering your place in the universe. "I've never studied a pristine sample from an asteroid," Heck said.

Cook County jury awards $20.5 million to family of girl who died from toxic levels of morphine
Cook County jury awards $20.5 million to family of girl who died from toxic levels of morphine

CBS News

time15 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Cook County jury awards $20.5 million to family of girl who died from toxic levels of morphine

A Cook County jury awarded more than $20 million in damages to the family of an 11-year-old girl who died from toxic levels of morphine. In October 2020, Ava Wilson was recovering from leukemia when she went for a follow-up appointment at Advocate Children's Hospital. During her appointment, she was crying from pain, and had difficulty walking, according to her family's attorneys. Lab tests revealed she had low platelet counts, low blood cell counts, high liver enzymes, and low blood pressure. She was discharged from Advocate Children's Hospital with instructions to take 15 milligrams of morphine every four hours, triple the amount of her previous prescriptions. A nurse practitioner also increased her gabapentin prescription. Approximately 36 hours after getting home, she died in her sleep from acute drug toxicity of several substances, including lethal levels of morphine in her system at the time of her death. Her family's attorneys said the hospital should have admitted Ava to the hospital to get her blood pressure under control and treat the cause of her pain, but simply sent her home with excessive pain medications. "Ava's body was yelling out to these clinicians, 'help me!', and they just ignored it," attorney Matthew Williams said. After a civil trial, a jury awarded her family $20.5 million in damages. "While nothing will ease the depth of Ava's loved ones' pain, the family appreciates that the jury recognized that Ava's death was preventable and that she should still be with them today," attorney Aaron Boeder said.

Fast Five Quiz: Late-Onset Pompe Disease
Fast Five Quiz: Late-Onset Pompe Disease

Medscape

time17 minutes ago

  • Medscape

Fast Five Quiz: Late-Onset Pompe Disease

Multiple genetic variants have been associated with LOPD. However, the c.-32-13T>G splice site variant is found in up to 90% of adults and 50% of pediatric patients. Patients with LOPD often have compound heterozygous genotypes, with one allele carrying the common c.-32-13T>G splice-site variant and the other harboring a more deleterious GAA mutation (eg, nonsense, frameshift, or large deletion). Other variants— such as and c.1935C>A — are more commonly seen in infantile forms of Pompe disease. Learn more about the pathophysiology of LOPD. Diagnosis of LOPD typically follows a two-step approach: first, measuring GAA enzyme activity (often via dried blood spot assay) followed by confirmatory molecular genetic testing to identify pathogenic GAA variants. Although once considered a first-line diagnostic tool for LOPD, muscle biopsy is no longer preferred due to its invasive nature and the non-specificity of histologic findings. Muscle biopsy may still be considered in rare, ambiguous cases when enzyme and genetic testing are inconclusive or conflicting. CK levels might be elevated in some patients but are nonspecific and primarily serve to raise clinical suspicion. Learn more about the workup for LOPD. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has significantly changed the natural history of the disease by improving survival and stabilizing motor and respiratory function. However, key limitations in skeletal muscle uptake and variability in clinical response remain. This is due to low expression of the mannose-6-phosphate receptor in muscle tissue, which hampers enzyme internalization. As a result, patients might experience a limited or plateaued response. Newer approaches, including modified ERT and gene therapy, are being developed to address this issue. High toxicity to cardiac muscle, uniform patient response, and development of cardiac hypertrophy have not been reported as key limitations. Learn more about treatment options for LOPD. NBS programs have reshaped the understanding of Pompe disease, particularly LOPD. A significant proportion of screen-positive newborns harbor genetic variants associated with LOPD, including pseudo deficiency alleles and variants of uncertain significance. These individuals are often asymptomatic at birth and might not develop symptoms for years, if at all. This has raised important clinical questions around monitoring, counseling, and when (or whether) to initiate therapy; expanded screening has also revealed that the true prevalence of LOPD might be higher than historical estimates suggested. Learn more about the management of LOPD. Editor's Note: This article was created using several editorial tools, including generative AI models, as part of the process. Human review and editing of this content were performed prior to publication. Lead image: UCSF/Science Source

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store