Schematic and experimental design for MV@GEL as an intranasal mask to intercept viral aerosols and trap viruses. A The intranasal mask (MV@GEL) was composed of microdimensional vesicles (MVs) derived from cells modified with a viral receptor and a thermosensitive hydrogel with positive charges. It could be sprayed into the nasal cavity at room temperature and quickly transformed from liquid to gel state at body temperature. The viral receptor in the vesicles could help the vesicles trap the virus, and the thermosensitive hydrogel could extend the retention time of the vesicles in the nasal cavity. Once the negative viral aerosols are inhaled, the intranasal mask could exert the protective effect in the following steps: Step 1, the positively charged hydrogel could intercept the negatively charged viral aerosols present in the airflow; Step 2, these viral aerosols could merge with MV@GEL and release viruses into MV@GEL; Step 3, the MV embedded in MV@GEL could trap the released viruses. b The protective effect of the intranasal mask was studied from the following three aspects. 1. Mouse model: MV@GEL confers strong protection against aerosol viral infections in the nose and downstream lungs of the mouse; 2. Digital human nasal model: Based on computed tomography (CT) images of the human nasal cavity, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation confirmed that viral aerosols could be intercepted in the human nasal cavity under MV@ protection FREEZE ; 3. Human airway model: connecting a realistic human nasal apparatus with human lung organoids and providing respiratory airflow through the pump; The human airway model was built and used to demonstrate the good performance of MV@GEL in protecting lung organoids against viral aerosols. Credit: Natural communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44134-w
Researchers from two state key laboratories of the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a new intranasal mask to protect the respiratory tract from viral aerosols. It showed satisfactory protection in a mouse model, a digital human nasal model, and a human airway model.
The study was published in Natural communications.
Respiratory infectious diseases have a considerable impact on global public health. The spread of these infectious diseases relies largely on the transmission of aerosols to the respiratory tract. The use of face masks is an important public health effort to reduce rates of respiratory infections. However, the effectiveness of masks is not sufficient for people at high risk.
To increase protection against viral aerosols, researchers designed an intranasal mask (MV@GEL) that includes a positively charged thermosensitive hydrogel and microdimensional vesicles derived from cells with viral receptors.
“The intranasal mask can be sprayed into the nasal cavity at room temperature and quickly transforms from liquid to gel state at body temperature. Inside the nasal cavity, the positively charged hydrogel can intercept “negatively charged viral aerosols present in the airflow. , while the receptor on the vesicles can interact with the virus released from the viral aerosols towards MV@GEL, subsequently ensuring the trapping of the virus for inactivation,” said the Professor Ma Guanghui from IPE.
By displaying the corresponding viral receptors, the intranasal masks showed satisfactory protection of the nasal cavity and lungs of mice against SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A virus aerosols.
Using CT images of the human nasal cavity, the researchers constructed a digital model of the human nasal cavity with which to perform computer simulation of fluid dynamics.
“The simulation result showed that the intranasal mask could intercept 93.2% of viral aerosol particles in the nasal cavity, thereby preventing these viral aerosol particles from entering the downstream lungs,” said Professor Wang Limin of IPE.
Additionally, researchers used 3D printing technology to make a device simulating the human nasal cavity. It was then connected to a culture of human lung organoids and provided respiratory airflow through a pump, thereby serving as an integrated model of the human airway.
Using this integrated model, which anatomically reproduced a human nasal cavity and faithfully mimicked an infection in the human lung, the researchers confirmed the powerful protection offered by MV@GEL against viral aerosols and the high relevance of an intranasal mask in humans. ‘man.
“The intranasal mask in our study can provide broad protection against multiple virus variant aerosols. Indeed, the binding of virus and viral receptor is independent of mutation,” said Professor Wei Wei from IPE. “Considering that the viral receptor on the vesicle could be easily modified, our MV@GEL system has the promising potential to be a flexible platform against various viral aerosols.”
An evaluator of Natural communications called the research “very interesting and exciting” and said “the proposed strategy could significantly improve the prevention of these infectious diseases and have a significant impact on public health.”
More information:
Xiaoming Hu et al, Intranasal mask to protect the respiratory tract against viral aerosols, Natural communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44134-w
Provided by the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Quote: Researchers develop a new intranasal mask to protect the respiratory tract from viral aerosols (December 20, 2023) retrieved December 20, 2023 from
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