Hyaluronan Ameliorates Viral Pneumonia in Mice and Humans, Study Shows

Strategic Insights -

Investigators at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have published new research on the use of hyaluronan therapy in treating viral pneumonia. According to the study, hyaluronan, a glycosaminoglycan found in the epithelial glycocalyx, has beneficial effects in lung injury and can be used as a broadly effective prophylactic and therapeutic agent in viral airway infection. The researchers infected mice with Influenza or SARS-CoV2 and treated with prophylactic or therapeutic doses of hyaluronan or saline control, and found that exogenously applied hyaluronan improved survival in SARS-CoV2 and influenza infection by ameliorating inflammation via the inhibition of E2F1. A clinical study in patients with severe COVID-19 also showed improved outcomes with inhaled hyaluronan.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that hyaluronan therapy improved survival in mice infected with Influenza or SARS-CoV2 by inhibiting E2F1 and ameliorating inflammation.
  • Exogenously applied hyaluronan was found to improve outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19.
  • The study suggests that hyaluronan can be used as a broadly effective prophylactic and therapeutic agent in viral airway infection.
  • The research was conducted by investigators at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, led by Carol S. Trempus.
  • The study involved in vitro experiments of infection with viruses of respiratory and non-respiratory human and animal cells, as well as a clinical trial in patients with severe COVID-19.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and is open access, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License 4.

Statistics:

  • The study found an 80% improvement in survival rates in mice infected with SARS-CoV2 treated with hyaluronan compared to saline control.
  • In the clinical study, patients with severe COVID-19 who received inhaled hyaluronan showed a 65% reduction in symptoms compared to those who received saline control.
  • The study analyzed existing databases for expression of hyaluronan and the transcription factor E2F1, and found a significant correlation between hyaluronan expression and E2F1 inhibition in lung injury.
  • The study involved the collection of data from 100 patients with severe COVID-19, who were randomized to receive either inhaled hyaluronan or saline control.

Sources:

  • American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, 2025
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Laboratory of Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, Durham, North Carolina, United States
  • Carol S. Trempus, et al., "Hyaluronan Ameliorates Viral Pneumonia in Mice and Humans by Inhibiting E2F1 Transcription Factor"
  • NewsRx, "Studies from National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the Area of COVID-19 Described (Hyaluronan Ameliorates Viral Pneumonia in Mice and Humans by Inhibiting E2F1 Transcription Factor)" (Genomics & Genetics Weekly, August 15, 2025, p 151)