Carrageenan-containing over-the-counter nasal and oral sprays inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection of airway epithelial cultures
Schütz et al.,
Carrageenan-containing over-the-counter nasal and oral sprays inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection of airway..,
American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, doi:10.1152/ajplung.00552.2020
In Vitro study showing that carrageenan-containing nose spray and mouth spray inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in human airway epithelial cultures.
Schütz et al., 28 Apr 2021, peer-reviewed, 12 authors.
Abstract: Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 320: L750–L756, 2021.
First published February 9, 2021; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00552.2020
RAPID REPORT
Carrageenan-containing over-the-counter nasal and oral sprays inhibit
SARS-CoV-2 infection of airway epithelial cultures
€ tz,1* Carina Conzelmann,1* Giorgio Fois,2 Ru
€ diger Groß,1 Tatjana Weil,1 Lukas Wettstein,1
Desiree Schu
3
4
€ ller,1 and
Steffen Stenger, Alexander Zelikin, Thomas K. Hoffmann,5 Manfred Frick,2 Janis A. Mu
1
€ nch
Jan Mu
1
Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany; 2Institute of General Physiology, Ulm
University, Ulm, Germany; 3Institute for Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany;
4
Department of Chemistry and iNano Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; and
5
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
Abstract
Pharmaceutical interventions are urgently needed to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection
and transmission. As SARS-CoV-2 infects and spreads via the nasopharyngeal airways, we analyzed the antiviral effect of selected nasal
and oral sprays on virus infection in vitro. Two nose sprays showed virucidal activity but were cytotoxic precluding further analysis in cell
culture. One nasal and one mouth spray suppressed SARS-CoV-2 infection of TMPRSS2-expressing Vero E6 cells and primary differentiated human airway epithelial cultures. The antiviral activity in both sprays could be attributed to polyanionic i- and κ-carrageenans. Thus,
application of carrageenan-containing nasal and mouth sprays may reduce the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection and may limit viral
spread, warranting further clinical evaluation.
carrageenan; sulfated polysaccharides; virucidal; virus inhibition; virus transmission
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