Chapter 21: PCANS: The Nasal Spray That Could Revolutionize Non-Drug Treatments!
Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS)!
Ignaz Semmelweis, Hungarian physician, who discovered that handwashing with chlorinated solutions significantly reduced maternal mortality rates in hospitals during 19th century, a revolutionary finding that highlighted the role of microbes in infection transmission. His work laid the groundwork for modern antiseptic procedures.
Look, there is no denying that prevention is better than cure. With the continuous influx of data to keep us healthy, we are on the brink of a significant breakthrough. Imagine a future where severe lung infections are a thing of the past. As a medical professional, my primary goal is the prevention of both acute and chronic diseases. However, if we can eradicate certain illnesses, the ultimate objective should be to strive for longevity and improved quality of life. The potential of the Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray (PCANS) to prevent respiratory infections will significantly advance healthcare.
In September 2024, a study published in the Journal Advanced Materials revealed a promising development for a drug-free nasal spray that can block 99.9 % of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This innovative solution could create a world without severe lung infections. The study suggests that this nondrug, a biopolymer when sprayed inside the nose, can increase the protection rate by more than 100 times(yes! 100 times), offering a beacon of hope in the fight against infections. Gels like matrix or biopolymer can neutralize microbes. Earlier trials were unsuccessful. This will be a big issue in prevention, especially for vulnerable people. It is another arsenal in the fight against microbes; others are vaccinations and medications.
In preclinical studies, the spray offered nearly 100% protection from respiratory infections caused by COVID-19, influenza, viruses, and pneumonia-causing bacteria. Based on these studies, Brigham & Women's Hospital researchers affirm that the nasal spray is effective but also long-lasting and safe. If validated in humans, it could play a key role in reducing respiratory diseases and safeguarding public health against new threats, instilling confidence in its potential.
Most microbes, like viruses and bacteria, enter our system through the nose. When we catch airborne infections like flu and COVID, we breathe in the tiny droplets of pathogens floating around to be sucked into the nostril. The nasal airway covering or layer comprises three different cells: basal cells, Goblet cells, and multi-ciliated cells, which contain 80% of all cells. These Multi-ciliated cells form a protective barrier that keeps viruses and bacteria from entering the airway. Dr. Jackson and colleagues' recent study focused on two striations on the multi-ciliated cells: cilia and microvilli.
Cilia are spaghetti-like things sprouting outwards; a single cell may host as many as 400 whip-like strands on its nasal cavity surface, and all the cilia are beating in harmony. Imagine the drum beat going every second, that wave-like motion, and all the microorganisms encountered by the strands. They're topped by a thin protein layer called mucin-mucus coating.
Mucin molecules can hook up with one another to form a mesh akin to an elastic, three-dimensional chain-link fence(they form a filter-like gel matrix to distill out all the microbes, including COVID, from getting into upper-airway cells. The mucus coat entraps viral particles, bacteria, environmental debris, and cell-breakdown junk, keeping underlying cells moist. Upper-airway epithelial cilia poke through this mucus layer, their synchronized beat generating a wave that pushes the mucus and its entrapped particles along, like a slow-moving river, to where it can be expectorated, swallowed, and digested.
When the virus slips past the mucus-mucin barrier either by skipping down the side of cilia or hopscotch style until it reaches the cell main body, fusing with the cell membrane and riding the internal freight to the cell body. Once the virus gets through the barrier, it can replicate or divide freely in the underlying cells.
Once inside the cell, activity is induced, causing microvilli to enlarge and branch like crazy cactus plants until their tips poke out of the mucus barrier. Their number starts to increase. From the winter grass to large coniferous trees, these microvilli are decorated with the virus particle that can shove off into the mucus-mucin layer, where they can float and infect other, more distant cells.
As the pathogen mixes with the body and hijacks the system, it replicates to become infectious and find a new host to survive. When this person exhales, coughs, or breathes, the infected tiny droplets spray like a hose in the microbiological sense and wait for this tiny droplet to be picked up.
Then, the cycle continues.
Now imagine if the PCANS are available and protecting and neutralizing at the door without entering the house. It will change the way our bodies react to the system. Vaccines against these viruses can be beneficial, but they're imperfect. Vaccinated people still get infected and spread the infection to others. Masks are also helpful but aren't perfect, either — they can leak, and many people wear them improperly or choose not to wear them.
"We developed a drug-free formulation using these compounds to block germs in three ways — PCANS forms a gel-like matrix that traps respiratory droplets, immobilizes the germs, and effectively neutralizes them, preventing infection." - Nitin Joshi, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at BWH.
Pathogen Capture and Neutralizing Spray was developed using the FDA's inactive drug list, previously used in approved nasal sprays. In a rigorous mouse model study, prophylactic treatment with PCANS demonstrated exceptional efficacy, with treated mice exhibiting complete protection, while the untreated group showed no such benefit.
While the study's limitations include the lack of human studies of PCANS, it provides a strong foundation for future research to explore PCANS' full potential in a broader context. The researchers are exploring whether PCANS can also block allergens(atlast!), opening a potential new avenue for allergy relief.
Delaying the entry and spread of microbes with a locally applied spray like PCANS could help the immune system catch and halt infections before they become severe. This simple yet powerful approach, if successful in human trials, could mark a pivotal moment in medical history. Just as Dr. Semmelweis’s discovery of microbial infection prevention drastically reduced maternal mortality, PCANS has the potential to be the next breakthrough in 21st-century medicine, offering a new frontier in disease prevention.
Suman Manchireddy MD FACP FHM, Internal Medicine, Leesburg, VA.
Email : Care@ReliantMD.com
Disclaimer: This is purely informational and educational purposes only, seek medical advise prior to starting any testing or treatment regimen. The data presented here is researched extensively and has been condensed for a broader audience.
References:
https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(22)01505-7.pdf - Jackson et al.
Toward a Radically Simple Multi-Modal Nasal Spray for Preventing Respiratory Infections - John Johnson et al. - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202406348?utm_campaign=publicity&utm_content=WRH_9_23_24&utm_medium=email&utm_source=publicity&utm_term=ADMA