Beauty Forum May23 - Flipbook - Page 92
Science
Inhalable ‘SHIELD’
Protects Lungs
“It works like an
‘invisible mask’ for
people in situations
where masking is
difficult
“
Researchers have developed an inhalable powder
that could protect lungs and airways from viral
invasion by reinforcing the body’s own mucosal
layer.
The powder, called Spherical Hydrogel Inhalation
for Enhanced Lung Defense, or SHIELD, reduced
infection in both mouse and non-human primate
models over a 24-hour period, and can be taken
repeatedly without affecting normal lung function.
“The idea behind this work is simple – viruses have
to penetrate the mucus in order to reach and infect
the cells, so we’ve created an inhalable
bioadhesive that combines with your own mucus to
prevent viruses from getting to your lung cells,”
says Ke Cheng, corresponding author of the paper
describing the work. “Mucus is the body’s natural
hydrogel barrier; we are just enhancing that
barrier.”
Cheng is the Randall B. Terry, Jr. Distinguished
Professor in Regenerative Medicine at North
Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary
Medicine and a professor in the NC State/UNCChapel Hill Joint Department of Biomedical
Engineering.
The inhalable powder microparticles are composed
of gelatin and poly(acrylic acid) grafted with a nontoxic ester. When introduced to a moist
environment – such as the respiratory tract and
lungs – the microparticles swell and adhere to the
mucosal layer, increasing the “stickiness” of the
mucus.
The effects are most potent during the first eight
hours after inhalation. SHIELD biodegrades over a
48-hour period, and is completely cleared from the
body.
In a mouse model, SHIELD blocked SARS-CoV-2
pseudovirus particles with 75% efficiency four
hours after inhalation, which fell to 18% after 24
hours. The researchers found similar results when
testing against pneumonia and H1N1 viruses.
In a non-human primate model of both the original
and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants, SHIELD-treated
subjects had reduced viral loads – from 50 to 300fold less than control subjects – and none of the
symptoms commonly associated with infection in
primates, such as lung inflammation or fibrosis.
Since primates do not exhibit the same symptoms
of infection as humans, viral load is the standard
marker used to determine exposure.
Beauty Forum ® Magazine.
