AllerGel: Inhalable Bioadhesive Microspheres to Prevent Particulate Matter-Induced CRDs and CRS

Overview

About 30% of adults and 40% of children in the U.S. are allergic to pollen, a form of particulate matter (PM). PM exposure leads to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), a leading cause of death. As someone with CRS, I can a ttest that current prevention methods, including masks and over-the-counter products, are inconvenient and ineffective. This study introduces AllerGel, an inhalable powder that transforms into a hydrogel upon contact with mucosal fluid, and I hypothesized that it will prevent PM from reaching and reacting with epithelial cells through effective capture, adherence, and allergen neutralization. I tested PM adsorption and adherence on the hydrogel using SEM and CLSM, penetration of allergenic proteins through the hydrogel by conducting western blot, and swelling behavior of AllerGel microspheres in various solutions. The results revealed that AllerGel microspheres swelled and successfully formed a hydrogel in mucus -like solutio ns. Regarding the physical barrier, the hydrogel had higher PM adherence and adsorbed more PM than the control, confirming AllerGel’s bioadhesive properties. Regarding the chemical barrier, AllerGel had minimal allergenic protein penetration through the hydrogel, unlike Nasaleze®, a similar commercial product, which had more allergenic proteins penetrating due to the lack of a chemical barrier. AllerGel can be administered via a nasal spray bottle and both the hydrogel and PM are naturally removed from the body within 24h of application through biodistribution and mucociliary clearance. AllerGel offers targeted and localized prevention of PM -induced CRDs and CRS, potentially benefiting millions of people worldwide.

Competition history

• JSHS 2025 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

Related projects

Closest projects by meaning, across every fair and year in the corpus.