Nose Jelly to Fight Flu
We've heard of some crackpot cures in our time, but putting jelly up your nose? That just about takes the biscuit.
This is what scientists at Texas A&M University say may one day save us from a deadly flu epidemic. They've been testing jelly nosesprays made with aloe vera - yep, that's the stuff you find in shampoos and face creams - as vaccines against the virus.
"When this powder vaccine is puffed into the nose, it forms a jelly-like substance that clings to the inside of the nose and is absorbed into the body much more effectively," says Ian Tizard, who has been trialling the treatment in lab animals.
"The nose tends to clear liquid sprays out, while the powder turns into a sticky gel and can be a much more potent vaccine." According to Tizard, it's a particular sugar found in the aloe vera that produces this jelly-like substance.
The original idea was to develop these new types of vaccines to combat a potential bird flu outbreak, but Tizard reckons they could be used to treat all sorts of diseases. Human trials begin next year. Anyone for custard?
More crackpot cures:
- Madness - Sauerkraut to cure bird flu
- Thinking ahead - Cure for Valentine's blues
- Silly - Treatment for ADHD
Or try a Doctor, Doctor - the weekly daft diseases column.
Image: Fran GC
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