Could Plant-Based Chewing Gum Take On COVID-19?

According to a new study, plant-based chewing gum could be the key to “neutralizing” COVID-19.

It was created by Penn School of Dental Medicine experts and works by limiting transmission of the virus through sneezing, coughing, and speaking.

This is because the gum contains DNA from an angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) enzyme that attaches to the virus and may prevent it from spreading.

It’s believed that the gum will help to “diminish” virus infection.

Plant-Based Gum Could Crack COVID-19

The gum presents an opportunity to “cut down on a source of disease transmission,” according to lead researcher Henry Daniell of the Medical Express.

The salivary glands are where SARS-CoV-2 reproduce, therefore the gum is directed there. It entails loading the plant material with proteins prior to the binding process.

The effort involves collaborating with virologist Ronald Collman, who has been collecting blood, nose swabs, and saliva from COVID-19 patients for scientific studies since the outbreak began.

“Really clever,” Collman said of the plant-based chewing gum. It’s also hoped that the procedure can be scaled up because it’s cheap.

The team is now apparently attempting to gain approval for the gum to be used in a clinical trial. They must first determine whether it is safe to use on COVID-19-infected persons.

Because transmission is still a major issue in the epidemic, the Penn School of Dental Medicine began investigating COVID-19. Despite the introduction of breakthrough vaccines, those who have been vaccinated can still carry the virus.

Source: “Plant-Based Chewing Gum Aims To Tackle COVID-19 Transmission” by Plant Based News