Heparin-azithromycin microparticulate nasal gels block SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial respiratory infections

Bryan J. Anaya; Karim Osouli-Bostanabad; Diego F. Tirado; Elena González-Burgos; Aikaterini Lalatsa; Dolores R. Serrano

doi:10.1016/j.carpta.2025.101031

Heparin-azithromycin microparticulate nasal gels block SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial respiratory infections

Bryan J. Anaya, Karim Osouli-Bostanabad, Diego F. Tirado, Elena González-Burgos, Aikaterini Lalatsa^*, Dolores R. Serrano^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Strathclyde Institute Of Pharmacy And Biomedical Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the need for effective prophylactic and local treatment strategies against respiratory viruses. The nasal cavity is a critical site for pathogen entry and colonization, and is therefore a critical target for targeted interventions. SARS-CoV-2, as a plethora of other virus, primarily spreads via respiratory droplets infecting nasal epithelial cells. Concurrently, bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, frequently colonize the nasal cavity, causing co-infections and serving as reservoirs for further respiratory tract involvement. This study presents a nasal gel that combines heparin and azithromycin (AZM) microparticles to combat both viral and bacterial infections in the nasal cavity. The formulation exhibits a favorable safety profile with minimal haemolytic toxicity (HC ₅₀ > 82 × 10⁷ μg/mL), potent activity against P. aeruginosa and S. pneumoniae at low concentrations (MIC of 15.6 µg/mL and 7.8 µg/mL, respectively), and effective antiviral properties (IC ₅₀ of 0.062 µg/mL for Pseudovirus inhibition). These multifaceted properties position the formulation as a promising candidate for a convenient, dual-action therapy in respiratory infection management, offering potentially both treatment and prophylaxis.

Original language	English
Article number	101031
Number of pages	16
Journal	Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications
Volume	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2025.101031
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2025

Funding

Brayan J. Anaya thanks the Ministerio de Ciencia Tecnología e Innovación (MinCiencias) of Colombia, Call No. 885 of 2020, for the doctoral scholarship. This study has also been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (award PID2021-126310OA-I00 to Dolores Serrano) and the Universidad Nacional de Colombia (project reference 58990). Karim Bostanabad Osouli is supported by the University of Portsmouth, Global Bursary. We acknowledge the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) for provision of synchrotron radiation facilities and Momentum Transfer for facilitating the measurements. Jakub Drnec is thanked for assistance and support in using beamline ID31. The measurement setup was developed with funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the STREAMLINE project (grant agreement ID 870313). Measurements performed as part of the MatScatNet project were supported by OSCARS through the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No. 10112975.

Keywords

nasal delivery
heparin
hydrogel
microparticles
azithromycin
sulfated polysaccharides
COVID-19

Access to Document

10.1016/j.carpta.2025.101031Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Anaya-etal-CPTA-2025-Heparin-azithromycin-microparticulate-nasal-gels-block-SARS-CoV-2-and-bacterialFinal published version, 12.1 MBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Cite this

@article{27d09d74f8c44f389d08db05b0de3805,

title = "Heparin-azithromycin microparticulate nasal gels block SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial respiratory infections",

abstract = "The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the need for effective prophylactic and local treatment strategies against respiratory viruses. The nasal cavity is a critical site for pathogen entry and colonization, and is therefore a critical target for targeted interventions. SARS-CoV-2, as a plethora of other virus, primarily spreads via respiratory droplets infecting nasal epithelial cells. Concurrently, bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, frequently colonize the nasal cavity, causing co-infections and serving as reservoirs for further respiratory tract involvement. This study presents a nasal gel that combines heparin and azithromycin (AZM) microparticles to combat both viral and bacterial infections in the nasal cavity. The formulation exhibits a favorable safety profile with minimal haemolytic toxicity (HC 50 > 82 × 10⁷ μg/mL), potent activity against P. aeruginosa and S. pneumoniae at low concentrations (MIC of 15.6 µg/mL and 7.8 µg/mL, respectively), and effective antiviral properties (IC 50 of 0.062 µg/mL for Pseudovirus inhibition). These multifaceted properties position the formulation as a promising candidate for a convenient, dual-action therapy in respiratory infection management, offering potentially both treatment and prophylaxis.",

keywords = "nasal delivery, heparin, hydrogel, microparticles, azithromycin, sulfated polysaccharides, COVID-19",

author = "Anaya, \{Bryan J.\} and Karim Osouli-Bostanabad and Tirado, \{Diego F.\} and Elena Gonz{\'a}lez-Burgos and Aikaterini Lalatsa and Serrano, \{Dolores R.\}",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.carpta.2025.101031",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Heparin-azithromycin microparticulate nasal gels block SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial respiratory infections

AU - Anaya, Bryan J.

AU - Osouli-Bostanabad, Karim

AU - Tirado, Diego F.

AU - González-Burgos, Elena

AU - Lalatsa, Aikaterini

AU - Serrano, Dolores R.

PY - 2025/12/1

Y1 - 2025/12/1

N2 - The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the need for effective prophylactic and local treatment strategies against respiratory viruses. The nasal cavity is a critical site for pathogen entry and colonization, and is therefore a critical target for targeted interventions. SARS-CoV-2, as a plethora of other virus, primarily spreads via respiratory droplets infecting nasal epithelial cells. Concurrently, bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, frequently colonize the nasal cavity, causing co-infections and serving as reservoirs for further respiratory tract involvement. This study presents a nasal gel that combines heparin and azithromycin (AZM) microparticles to combat both viral and bacterial infections in the nasal cavity. The formulation exhibits a favorable safety profile with minimal haemolytic toxicity (HC 50 > 82 × 10⁷ μg/mL), potent activity against P. aeruginosa and S. pneumoniae at low concentrations (MIC of 15.6 µg/mL and 7.8 µg/mL, respectively), and effective antiviral properties (IC 50 of 0.062 µg/mL for Pseudovirus inhibition). These multifaceted properties position the formulation as a promising candidate for a convenient, dual-action therapy in respiratory infection management, offering potentially both treatment and prophylaxis.

AB - The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the need for effective prophylactic and local treatment strategies against respiratory viruses. The nasal cavity is a critical site for pathogen entry and colonization, and is therefore a critical target for targeted interventions. SARS-CoV-2, as a plethora of other virus, primarily spreads via respiratory droplets infecting nasal epithelial cells. Concurrently, bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, frequently colonize the nasal cavity, causing co-infections and serving as reservoirs for further respiratory tract involvement. This study presents a nasal gel that combines heparin and azithromycin (AZM) microparticles to combat both viral and bacterial infections in the nasal cavity. The formulation exhibits a favorable safety profile with minimal haemolytic toxicity (HC 50 > 82 × 10⁷ μg/mL), potent activity against P. aeruginosa and S. pneumoniae at low concentrations (MIC of 15.6 µg/mL and 7.8 µg/mL, respectively), and effective antiviral properties (IC 50 of 0.062 µg/mL for Pseudovirus inhibition). These multifaceted properties position the formulation as a promising candidate for a convenient, dual-action therapy in respiratory infection management, offering potentially both treatment and prophylaxis.

KW - nasal delivery

KW - heparin

KW - hydrogel

KW - microparticles

KW - azithromycin

KW - sulfated polysaccharides

KW - COVID-19

UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/carbohydrate-polymer-technologies-and-applications

U2 - 10.1016/j.carpta.2025.101031

DO - 10.1016/j.carpta.2025.101031

M3 - Article

SN - 2666-8939

VL - 12

JO - Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications

JF - Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications

M1 - 101031

ER -

Heparin-azithromycin microparticulate nasal gels block SARS-CoV-2 and bacterial respiratory infections

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this