Engineered nasal spray to prevent and treat coronaviruses
Molecularly Engineered Lectins for Intranasal Prophylaxis and Treatment of Coronaviruses
This project is developing an engineered antiviral nasal spray meant to prevent and treat coronavirus infections for people at risk or with early infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11392265 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating an engineered protein derived from a banana lectin called H84T-BanLec and formulating it for delivery as a nasal spray to block coronaviruses from entering airway cells. The engineered lectin binds high-mannose sugars on viral envelopes to prevent attachment and fusion. The team has already tested H84T in mice, rats, and hamsters with promising antiviral effects and tolerability and is optimizing the formulation for intranasal use. The aim is a broad-spectrum, easy-to-use product that could work against SARS-CoV-2 and future coronaviruses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adults at higher risk of coronavirus exposure or people with recent, mild coronavirus infection who could use an intranasal prophylactic or early treatment.
Not a fit: People with severe, hospitalized COVID-19 or those with known allergy to banana or related proteins may not benefit from this intranasal approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could become a simple at-home or outpatient nasal treatment to reduce infection, transmission, and progression of coronavirus illness.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical animal studies have shown broad antiviral activity and tolerability for this engineered lectin, but human testing has not yet been reported.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Markovitz, David Michael — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Markovitz, David Michael
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.