Chewing gum might seem like a simple treat or a way to freshen breath, but scientists are now exploring something far more ambitious: gum that could help reduce the amount of virus living in the mouth. This work aims to lower the chances that viruses like COVID-19, influenza, and herpes are passed from person to person. Instead of replacing vaccines or medical treatments, this approach offers an additional tool that could change how we think about everyday disease prevention.
Why the Mouth Is an Important Target
Viruses that cause respiratory and oral diseases often gather in saliva and the tissues of the mouth and throat before moving deeper into the body or being released into the air. Actions as ordinary as speaking, coughing, or laughing can send tiny droplets carrying viruses out into the environment, where they might infect others. Scientists realized that if they could reduce the number of viruses present in the mouth, even for a short time, it might help slow or limit transmission.
This principle has already been studied in other ways. For example, clinical research has shown that certain types of mouthwash can temporarily lower the viral load in saliva for a short period after rinsing, though the effect often fades within an hour. These studies used different antiseptic rinses such as hydrogen peroxide, cetylpyridinium chloride, and chlorhexidine gluconate and found varied reductions in virus levels after rinsing, encouraging more investigation into oral viral mitigation strategies.
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How the Virus-Targeting Gum Is Made
At the University of Pennsylvania, researchers have been experimenting with chewing gum that contains specially selected plant proteins. Instead of using chemicals or drugs, they turned to nature, identifying proteins from plants that can bind to viruses in harmless ways.
For example, a plant grown form of the ACE2 protein has been used to catch the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. This protein normally acts like a door the virus uses to enter human cells. When provided harmlessly in gum, it instead serves as a “decoy,” encouraging the virus to latch onto it rather than the cells inside the mouth.
Another plant source, the common lablab bean, contains a protein known as FRIL. This protein binds to influenza and herpes viruses in laboratory experiments and reduces their activity in simulated saliva. In studies, after chewing gum made with lablab bean powder, more than 95 percent of influenza and herpes viruses were neutralized in lab tests.
This method does not destroy viruses in the dramatic way people sometimes imagine. Instead, it effectively “traps” them so they cannot infect cells, reproduce, or spread easily.
What Early Laboratory Studies Show
Experiments with this chewing gum show promising results. In tests using saliva from volunteers and simulated chewing systems, the plant-based proteins were released into the liquid and slowed down or neutralized viral particles. In some cases, viral levels dropped so sharply that they were barely detectable after chewing the gum.
These lab experiments built on earlier work with an ACE2-containing gum that reduced SARS-CoV-2 in saliva samples from COVID-19 patients. That research found that when saliva from infected individuals was exposed to the gum in laboratory conditions, levels of viral genetic material fell dramatically.
It is important to understand that these results come from controlled settings, not real life. Saliva and mouth conditions vary widely between people, and viruses can reenter the mouth from the respiratory tract or nasal passages. Still, the consistency of the findings across different viruses suggests there is something worth exploring further.
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How This Idea Connects to Other Oral Viral Research
Scientists have long been interested in ways to reduce the presence of viruses where they are most likely to spread. Much of that work has looked at mouthwashes and rinses. For example, clinical trials have found that rinsing with antiseptic solutions can lower the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva for about half an hour to an hour after rinsing. Some compounds, like povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine at specific concentrations, showed more sustained reductions in viral levels in small studies.
Other research has reviewed multiple mouthwash trials and found mixed results, with some showing benefits and others showing little change. Overall, these studies suggest that oral cleansing approaches might temporarily reduce virus levels but do not offer long-lasting effects or direct treatment for infection.
These earlier studies help place the plant protein gum in context. Rather than washing the mouth with a liquid that quickly washes away, chewable gum delivers proteins gradually and continuously as it is chewed, making it a novel addition to this broader field of oral antiviral research.
What Is Next for the Virus-Trapping Gum
Because early results are encouraging, researchers have moved into more advanced stages of testing. The chewing gum has been prepared following clinical-grade standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it has been shown to remain stable at room temperature for long periods, which makes it practical for real-world use.
Human clinical trials are planned or underway. These trials will help scientists understand how well the gum performs in a living human mouth, where saliva flows, eating and drinking happen, and viruses continuously interact with tissues. The trials are designed to evaluate safety, how long the viral reduction lasts after chewing, and whether the gum can make a meaningful difference in actual virus transmission.
If the gum proves effective in people, it could become a useful tool during seasonal outbreaks or in situations where people are in close contact, such as clinics, classrooms, and public transit. Because chewing gum is familiar, portable, and easy to use, it has the potential to be adopted widely faster than many other antiviral approaches.
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A Simple Habit With a Big Idea
This research is still in its early stages, but it highlights how a simple idea can emerge from careful scientific observation. Plants have evolved a wide range of defensive proteins, and researchers are now repurposing those natural molecules to address human health challenges. By turning chewing gum into a delivery system for these proteins, the work connects everyday behavior with sophisticated molecular science.
This approach does not replace vaccines, medical treatments, or established preventive measures like good hygiene and ventilation. Instead, it may offer a quiet, additional way to reduce virus levels at the point where infections often begin and spread. Chewing gum might seem like an unlikely hero in the fight against viruses, yet this research shows that even familiar habits can take on surprising new roles in protecting public health.
Featured image: Freepik.
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