New York, May 27 (TIWN) Inhalable nanobodies targeting the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can prevent and treat severe Covid-19, according to a study in hamsters.

The scientists showed that low doses of an aerosolized nanobody named Pittsburgh inhalable Nanobody-21 (PiN-21) protected hamsters from the dramatic weight loss typically associated with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and reduced the number of infectious virus particles in the animals' nasal cavities, throats and lungs by a million-fold, compared to placebo treatment with a nanobody that doesn't neutralize the virus.  "By using an inhalation therapy that can be directly administered to the infection site--the respiratory tract and lungs--we can make treatments more efficient," said co-senior author Yi Shi, Ph.D., assistant professor of cell biology at Pitt. "We are very excited and encouraged by our data suggesting that PiN-21 can be highly protective against severe disease and can potentially prevent human-to-human viral transmission."