Since early in the pandemic, researchers have been working to develop a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 that could be administered in the form of a nasal spray, as such a spray would be simpler to administer than an injection and would hypothetically enhance immune protections where the coronavirus enters the body. Unfortunately, one such experimental vaccine, developed by scientists at the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, performed dismally in a small Phase 1 clinical trial, according to results published Tuesday (October 10) in eBioMedicine, and the researchers behind the project say they plan to abandon it, at least in its current form.
The nasal approach is intended to enhance mucosal immunity, or the immune system’s ability to fend off pathogens at the point of contact on mucosal membranes rather than with antibodies or immune cells circulating in the bloodstream. The aim is to prevent more cases of COVID-19 than could be ...
