Respiratory viruses affect millions of people each year, including the common cold, flu, RSV and COVID.

What if I told you that an inexpensive over-the-counter remedy that’s probably sitting in your medicine cabinet right now could drastically reduce your chances of coming down with one?

You might be skeptical, to say the least.

But this kind of thing happens all the time. Through persistence and careful research, science finds cures that have been right under our noses all along…

Over-the-counter antibiotic stimulates immune system response

Currently, most therapies used to fight respiratory viral infections are delivered intravenously or orally. Their purpose is to keep existing infections from spreading and worsening.

However, a new study by Yale University researchers suggests that a therapy delivered through the nose would have a much better chance of stopping infections before they can spread to the lower respiratory tract and cause severe diseases.

The study found that mice treated intra-nasally with the common antibiotic neomycin showed strong interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) defenses against both the SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza A virus.

And in healthy humans, nasal application of the over-the-counter ointment Neosporin® — a triple-antibiotic ointment containing neomycin — also triggered a swift immune response by ISGs.

Interferon (IFN) is a natural substance produced by white blood cells. It helps the body’s immune system fight infection by signaling the expression of ISGs so they can keep viruses from replicating within the body.

“This is an exciting finding, that a cheap over-the-counter antibiotic ointment can stimulate the human body to activate an antiviral response,” says Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, the Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine and co-senior author of the new study.

“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.”

Other ways to rouse your immune system

If the idea of applying an ointment usually reserved for cuts and burns to your nose doesn’t delight you, there’s something else you can do to simulate interferon signaling to kick ISGs and your immune response into gear…

According to Professor Colin Smith, lead author of research published in 2022 in Frontiers of Immunology, “We have shown that vitamin D3 appears to stimulate the type I interferon signaling system in the body — a key part of the immune system that provides a first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining a foothold in the body.”

That same research differentiated vitamin D3 from the more common form, D2. According to Professor Susan Lanham-New, co-author of the study, “While we found that vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 do not have the same effect on gene activity within humans, the lack of impact we found when looking at vitamin D2 means that a larger study is urgently required to clarify the differences in the effects. However, these results show that vitamin D3 should be the favored form for fortified foods and supplements.”

If you’re prone to respiratory infections, your lungs could probably use a little extra protection. Omega-3s can help there…

Researchers who analyzed genetic data from a large European study of over 500,000 patients drawn from the UK Biobank found that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood correlated with better lung function and a reduced rate of decline in lung function.

Sources:

Common antibiotic may be helpful in fighting respiratory viral infections — Yale News

Intranasal neomycin evokes broad-spectrum antiviral immunity in the upper respiratory tract — PNAS

Protective Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on COVID-19-Related Intensive Care Hospitalization and Mortality: Definitive Evidence from Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis — Pharmaceuticals