Researchers have developed an anti-viral medical gum capable of reducing viral loads in the oral cavity by more than 95%. This innovation represents an important step towards reducing the propagation of many infectious viruses, such as the flu virus and a simple herpes virus.
The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Faculty of Dentistry, in cooperation with a Finnish team, and its results were published in the magazine “Molecular Therapy” last January, and was written by Yurrick Alert.
The viral load expresses the amount of virus in the blood, which is an indication of the severity of the infection and the possibility of the virus, the lower the viral load, the lower the capacity of the virus.
Innovation is based on a natural antiviral protein called Friel (Fril), which is extracted from the Purpureus Ivy, which is a tropical plant of the family of legumes. This protein was used to develop a medication that chews gum.
The researchers tested the effectiveness of the gum against two types of simple herpes virus and two EFNZA A viruses. The results have shown that the chewing of 40 milligrams of gum made of ivy pills reduced viral charges by more than 95%, a similar decrease in what they noticed in their studies on the Sars-Cov-2 virus.
Research has not been limited to the efficiency of the gum, but also included the development of its composition to be sure and compatible with the standards of the American Food and Drug Administration, which paved the way for its use in clinical experiences on humans.
This eraser is a promising step in the fight against several viruses, such as flu and herpes. It represents a new preventive means focusing on direct infections, such as the oral cavity, which is a major gateway to the entry of viruses.
The team now seeks to expand the use of the eraser by adding it to the food of birds to fight against the bird flu (H5N1), which has struck more than 54 million birds in North America in the last three months, on the basis of previous studies which have shown the effectiveness of the ivy powder in the neutralization of AA, which cause the bird flu in humans and birds.