Background

Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTI) induced by Corona (SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV) or Para-influenza (RSV) viruses, pandemic strains of Influenza virus, and others often result in severe and life threatening conditions. Despite support by respiratory ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and multiple supportive actions many hundred thousand of patients die each year. These respiratory viruses attach to, enter and destroy lung cells thereby causing airway destruction and high-grade bronchial inflammation. In this way, oxygen up-take in the lungs is severely impaired, which often is exacerbated by an immuno-pathological cytokine release syndrome (CRS).

Unfortunately, current approaches do NOT block the most important initial step of respiratory infections, i.e. viral attachment to mucosal cells and therefore have to be considered as non-protective;