Corona vaccination via nasal spray?

Erlangen research team is working on an innovative dosage form

Created: 01/16/2022, 06:15

Nasal Spray Vaccination Coming Soon?

Researchers from Erlangen are working on it.

© Christin Klose/dpa/symbol image

Researchers at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg want to develop a corona vaccine that can be conveniently administered as a nasal or oral spray. 

Nuremberg – A corona vaccine* that can be conveniently administered as a nasal or oral spray?

A team from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg* (FAU) is currently researching this.

The project is part of the Bavarian research association For-Covid.

In the coming years, it will be funded with 280,000 euros, as BR reports.

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Nuremberg-Erlangen: Promising tests on mice

The coronavirus* enters the body through the mucous membranes of the nose or mouth.

This is where the new vaccination method should start.

In the first funding phase, which started in autumn 2020, the researchers from Erlangen* administered vaccine through the nose to mice.

These then formed local antibodies in the nasal mucosa.

You can catch the coronavirus as soon as it enters the body. 

Now it's about understanding the immunological mechanisms behind this type of vaccination, says Professor Matthias Tenbusch, project manager of the research group, the

.

They also want to find out whether the nasal spray method is also more effective against new corona variants such as Omikron. 

Nuremberg: Tests with different vaccines

To this end, the team is testing various vaccines.

A clinical study should also show whether the vaccination also works via mouth spray.

"This new way of administering the vaccine could significantly reduce the risk of infection among vaccinated people," explains Professor Klaus Überla, Director of the Institute of Virology at FAU.

In addition, one can also reduce the risk that vaccinated people who have become infected pass on the virus unnoticed.

The research group is also investigating how to stimulate the immune system to fight off infections in the best possible way.

Vaccinations should then be coordinated accordingly.