Is 'How to control the infection of the new coronavirus with chewing gum' effective for Omicron strains?
Vaccination with the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is progressing in many developed countries, but
Debulking SARS-CoV-2 in saliva using angiotensin converting enzyme 2 in chewing gum to decrease oral virus transmission and infection: Molecular Therapy
https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/molecular-therapy/fulltext/S1525-0016 (21) 00579-7
Could a chewing gum really reduce the spread of COVID-19? Maybe --but here's what we need to know first
https://theconversation.com/could-a-chewing-gum-really-reduce-the-spread-of-covid-19-maybe-but-heres-what-we-need-to-know-first-172636
Previous studies investigating patients with COVID-19 have detected high levels of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in the saliva and mouth of infected individuals, indicating the severity of symptoms such as loss of taste and smell. Studies have shown that it is associated with viral load in saliva. It is also known that SARS-CoV-2 proliferates in the salivary glands and mucous membranes in the mouth, and since the mouth is considered to be the main transmission route of SARS-CoV-2, it is not a virus that targets the oral environment. Activation can be a promising approach.
Therefore, the research team devised a method to reduce the amount of SARS-CoV-2 in the mouth by using 'chewing gum', which has a longer contact period with the mouth than mouthwash. The research team focused on the fact that when SARS-CoV-2 infects human cells, it utilizes a receptor protein called angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the surface of the cells, and the virus binds to ACE2. I decided to include a substance in chewing gum that prevents it from happening.
The protein used in this experiment was a plant-derived protein called 'cholera toxin B (CTB) -ACE2'. CTB-ACE2, as the name implies, is a type of ACE2 that prevents SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells by 'catching the virus' by directly binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Can be done.
The research team powdered CTB-ACE2 extracted from genetically modified lettuce and blended it into chewing gum with adjusted taste and texture. We also produced a placebo chewing gum, which had a good taste and texture but did not contain CTB-ACE2 powder, and conducted an experiment to confirm the effect of CTB-ACE2.
In the experiment, the research team powdered each chewing gum and mixed saliva samples taken from COVID-19 patients with each chewing gum powder to see how the amount of SARS-CoV-2 changed. .. Here are the images and graphs that show the results. Looking at the image of A showing the amount of SARS-CoV-2 contained in saliva samples taken from three patients, there is almost no difference between 'Untreated' and 'Placebo'. On the other hand, it can be seen that the amount of virus is significantly reduced in 'ACE2-gum' containing CTB-ACE2 powder. In the graph of B, it can be confirmed that the viral load is reduced in 'ACE2 Gum (CTB-ACE2 combination gum)' compared with 'Control (control group)' and 'Placebo Gum (placebo gum)'. ..
In another experiment, 'pseudo-type SARS-CoV-2 (a harmless virus with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein on the surface)' was used to infect cells with a CTB-ACE2 compounded gum. I checked if I could suppress it. As a result, the researchers report that only 5 mg of CTB-ACE2 gum powder significantly reduced virus infection, and 50 mg of CTB-ACE2 gum powder reduced virus infection by 95%.
Roberts said the study isn't a new idea to use chewing gum to improve the oral environment, but it's a new approach to targeting the virus. On the other hand, although the experimental results suggest that the CTB-ACE2 compounded gum significantly inhibits the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, it is still in the early stages of research and only laboratory results are available. He pointed out that it was too early to consider it as a 'pandemic game changer.'
'The conditions in the laboratory will be different from those in the human mouth. Researchers used a masticatory simulator machine to influence the movement of mastication on the CTB-ACE2 protein in the gum. There are other questions that have been shown to be non-existent but have not yet been answered. For example, does the environment in a person's mouth, such as body temperature or oral bacteria, affect the effectiveness of the gum? How long will it last? As research progresses to this stage, it will be interesting to see how gum has the same effect on people as in the laboratory, 'Roberts said.
The exact efficacy of chewing gum to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load remains unclear, but Roberts said that if this chewing gum was effective, it would likely be effective in different mutants, such as the Omicron strain. This is because SARS-CoV-2 binds to the ACE2 protein and infects cells regardless of its mutation.
Finally, Roberts said, even though this chewing gum reduces viral load and frequency of infection in the mouth, it is unclear how coping with the mouth can help prevent infection in the presence of multiple routes of infection, such as the eyes and nose. indicate. Nonetheless, chewing gum may reduce infections in dental surgery and wards, and when used in combination with other methods such as masking, ventilation and vaccination, can be a measure to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Said.
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