Chewing gum to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission

Pennsylvania: A chewing gum has been developed by a team of researchers that is laced with a plant-grown protein serving as a “trap” for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, hence it could reduce its transmission. The study has been published in the Molecular Therapy Journal. The work, led by Henry Daniell at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine […]

Pennsylvania: A chewing gum has been developed by a team of researchers that is laced with a plant-grown protein serving as a “trap” for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, hence it could reduce its transmission. The study has been published in the Molecular Therapy Journal.

The work, led by Henry Daniell at Penn’s School of Dental Medicine and performed in collaboration with scientists at the Perelman School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine, as well as at The Wistar Institute and Fraunhofer USA, could lead to a low-cost tool in the arsenal against the pandemic.

“SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the salivary glands, and we know that when someone who is infected sneezes, coughs or speaks some of that virus can be expelled and reach others,” said Daniell.

“This gum offers an opportunity to neutralise the virus in the saliva, giving us a simple way to possibly cut down on a source of disease transmission,” he added.

Vaccinations have helped change the course of the pandemic but haven’t stamped out transmission. Even people who are fully vaccinated can still become infected with SARS-CoV-2 and, according to recent research, can carry a viral load similar to those who are unvaccinated.

“This gum could be used as an additional tool in the fight,” he concluded.