He emphasized that an effective antiviral or vaccine that can induce “nasal mucosal immune protection” would prevent infection, which is especially beneficial to high-risk populations. “Mucosal protection with a nasally administered vaccine would also have benefits in preventing infections before the virus would gain access to the lungs to cause more severe disease,” said Alcendor. “So we wound up spraying an attenuated virus, or a weakened version of the virus, into the nasal pharynx, which enhanced immunity, at least for influenza.”
“I remember when we became short on flu virus, this is going back maybe ten, fifteen years,” he said. Lahita added that nasal vaccines can also help when there are vaccine shortages. Lahita believes a nose spray COVID vaccine is “a very interesting concept,” and one that could be used in the future for people who are afraid of needles, and those who want a more efficient defense against Omicron. Potential Benefits of Nasally Applied Vaccines and Antivirals
However, when taking something orally, it’s going to get into the mouth, go down the esophagus, and get inactivated in the stomach with the stomach acid. “So that is what we’re banking on, when a nasal spray or vaccine happens to be used,” he said. Lahita pointed out that there is an immune system in the mucus membranes of the nose and the upper nasal pharynx called the secretory immune response. “I think it has to go where the mucosal immunity is, and that is largely the nasal pharynx and the nose,” he explained. Lahita, MD, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Disease at Saint Joseph Health, and author of “ Immunity Strong ,” is doubtful that carrageenan could be effective when taken in other ways, such as by mouth. The product is now marketed as a nasal spray for sinus irrigation.Įxpert Doubtful Carrageenan Could Be Used Except Nasally However, the manufacturer received an FDA warning letter for marketing “an unapproved and misbranded product related to COVID-19,” in January 2022. Nasitrol is an iota-carrageenan nose spray available in the U.S. They are testing if Carragelose, a patented version of iota-carrageenan, can prevent COVID-19 or reduce its severity of symptoms.
Iota carrageenan nasal spray amazon trial#
Meanwhile, researchers at Swansea University started recruiting for a separate clinical trial in 2021. Clinical Trials Already UnderwayĪ single-center, phase III, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial is underway to assess whether carrageenan nasal and throat spray reduces the risk of development and severity of COVID-19. “Iota-carrageenan is thought to be safe, tolerable, and lacks interaction with other medication,” said Alcendor.įichtenbaum emphasized that any intervention may have side effects, and more research is needed to understand iota-carrageenan fully. The drug has also shown “non-specific action against different groups of viruses including influenza and emerging variants of the same virus ,” added Alcendor.Ī 2021 review of studies found some test subjects experienced puffy or dry eyes, although the compound showed a good safety profile overall. The advantage of a nasal spray is “no pills and it goes right to the place where the action is,” said Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, clinical professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He added that it might work because carrageenan mimics heparin sulfate -a substance the COVID virus can bind with in our body-and can trap the virus to prevent infection.Īfterward, the trapped virus probably moves through the nasal cavity and down the throat, to be destroyed by stomach acid. Alcendor Ph.D., adjunct associate professor of pathology, microbiology, and immunology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told The Epoch Times. “The mechanism of action is believed to be one of preventing the binding and entry of viral particles into nasal epithelial cells,” Donald J. Researchers noted that the mixture is already approved for human use in Argentina to help prevent colds and flu. More recently, scientists looked at iota-carrageenan combined with saline solution in a nasal spray to discover it effectively inhibited COVID-19 infection. Later, research found this plant extract also has potent effects against the common cold virus in laboratory testing. It’s used in cooking to thicken foods and has been added to processed foods since the 1950s. What does research show about this approach, and does it have the potential for other anti-COVID measures? Carrageenan Might Prevent Virus From Taking Hold in NoseĮxtracted from edible seaweed, carrageenan comes in three forms: Iota, Kappa, and Lamda.
A seaweed extract called iota-carrageenan, when administered by nasal spray, has shown promise for a quick and easy way to fight COVID by trapping much of the virus before it can take hold in our bodies.
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