
Penn researchers develop antiviral chewing gum to curb oral cancer risk
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created a bioengineered chewing gum made from hyacinth bean powder that incorporates the antiviral protein FRIL and the antimicrobial peptide protegrin to neutralize viruses and bacteria linked to oral cancers (notably HPV). Early data show the gum can significantly reduce oral HPV viral load (about 93%), and it’s being studied as both a preventive and potential treatment, with HPV clinical trials at Penn Medicine and additional trials for infectious diseases like COVID-19 and influenza; the team envisions an affordable, off-the-shelf prophylactic gum with broader public health benefits, including interest from NASA for health in space.









