SC Connecticut News

A new study led by Yale researchers suggests that a common antibiotic, neomycin, may hold promise in combating respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19 and influenza. The research, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, highlights the potential of nasal application of neomycin in preventing and treating respiratory viral infections.

Akiko Iwasaki, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, expressed excitement over the findings, stating, "This is an exciting finding, that a cheap over-the-counter antibiotic ointment can stimulate the human body to activate an antiviral response." Iwasaki also emphasized the dual benefits of neomycin, stating, "Our work supports both preventative and therapeutic actions of neomycin against viral diseases in animal models, and shows effective blocking of infection and transmission."

The study, led by Iwasaki and former Yale researcher Charles Dela Cruz, demonstrated that intranasal application of neomycin triggered a swift immune response in healthy humans, activating interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in the nasal passages. Dela Cruz highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of the research, stating, "This collaborative multi-disciplinary work combined important insights from animal pulmonary infection modeling experiments with human study evaluation of this intranasal approach to stimulate antiviral immunity."

According to the researchers, the nasal-centered therapy using neomycin offers a promising approach to combat respiratory viral infections before they progress to severe diseases. The study showed that mice treated intranasally with neomycin exhibited a robust defense against SARS-CoV-2 and a highly virulent strain of influenza A virus. Additionally, intranasal neomycin treatment significantly reduced the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in hamsters.

Iwasaki pointed out the potential global implications of the research, stating, "Our findings suggest that we might be able to optimize this cheap and generic antibiotic to prevent viral diseases and their spread in human populations, especially in global communities with limited resources." The study's co-first authors, Tianyang Mao, Jooyoung Kim, and Mario Peña-Hernández, all from Yale, contributed to the research efforts.

As the world continues to grapple with respiratory viral infections, the promising results of the study offer a new avenue for the development of preventative and therapeutic strategies against these widespread illnesses.