Anti-Microbial Agent Kills Influ...( potent reducing viral antigen levels ...)

In Reuter's study, different liquids were inserted into the nasal passages of four groups of laboratory mice. Control mice in Group 1 were given ordinary saltwater. Group 2 received BCTP alone. Group 3 received live influenza A virus and Group 4 was given a mixture of influenza A and BCTP. Groups 1, 2 and 4 stayed healthy, while all the mice in Group 3 developed severe pneumonia and two out of three mice died before the conclusion of the study.

"We learned several important things from these preliminary studies. The first is that BCTP is a highly effective killing agent for the influenza virus both at the cellular level and in living animals. Equally important is that BCTP had no toxic effects on nasal or lung membranes," Baker says. "We've shown that if we treat the virus with BCTP as it enters the nasal passages, we can prevent infection in mice. The next step is to see whether we can administer BCTP and the virus separately and still prevent infection. And the final step, of course, is to see whether it works as well in people as it does in mice."

While influenza vaccines are relatively effective at preventing the flu, Baker says there is a need for alternate preventive agents. "Influenza vaccines are expensive, they only are effective against a few viral strains each year and it takes time for immunity to develop. BCTP appears to inactivate the virus on contact."

The research is funded by DARPA's Unconventional Pathogen Countermeasures Program. The U-M and Novavax have filed a patent application covering BCTP's use as a decontamination agent for various anti-microbial applications. Baker is a member of the Novavax scientific advisory board, but has no significant financial interest in the company.

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Contact: Sally Pobojewski
pobo@umich.edu
(734) 647-1844
University of Michigan
26-Sep-1998