France: Developing anti-flu nasal spray from sugar, 'tricking' the virus

Scientists at the French Centre for Research on Plant Macromolecules (Cermav) have genetically modified bacteria to produce complex sugar chains capable of "tricking" disease-causing viruses.

A completely new flu prevention solution is being researched in Grenoble, a city in southeastern France.

Startup AIS Biotech, founded in 2023 and specializing in biotechnology applied to infectious disease prevention, has just announced a project to develop an anti-flu nasal spray from sugar.

According to Essor Isère (France), this young company has successfully raised investment capital from many sources. This is the first round of capital calling for AIS Biotech, paving the way for the strategic product development phase.

The special feature of the above spray lies in the scientific method that the research team has pursued for over 25 years at the Center for Research on Plant Macromolecules (Cermav).

Scientists here have genetically modified bacteria to create complex sugar chains that can "trick" disease-causing viruses.

Instead of entering the patient's cells, the pathogen attaches to these sugar chains and is blocked from entering.

With this mechanism, the nasal spray product (named Glycoflu) can help the body avoid infection from the early stages or if infected, the disease will be milder and the recovery process will be faster.

This approach does not directly attack the influenza virus but creates a biological “trap” that helps protect the respiratory system, especially the upper respiratory tract.

However, the journey from lab to hospital is still a long way off. After the first round of funding, AIS Biotech expects to start clinical trials around 2027.

If successful, the company will transfer the technology copyright to a major pharmaceutical company for industrial-scale production, possibly from 2029.

As the world continues to face seasonal epidemics and the risk of new flu strains emerging, AIS Biotech's approach is seen as promising.

From Grenoble - France's key scientific research center, a young startup is hoping to change the way flu is prevented in the next decade./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/phap-phat-trien-thuoc-xit-mui-chong-cum-tu-duong-danh-lua-virus-post1067839.vnp