AI-written summary of reporting by New York Post. No human editor reviewed this. AI can misread or omit facts — read the original, linked below.
ABSTRACT

A research team led by Henry Daniell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, has bioengineered a chewing gum containing a protein found in the hyacinth bean that reduced human papillomavirus levels in saliva samples by 93%, according to the researchers.

New York Post

UPenn researchers develop chewing gum containing plant protein that reduced HPV in saliva by 93%

UPenn researchers develop chewing gum containing plant protein that reduced HPV in saliva by 93%
Aug 15, 2026, 10:56 AM

A research team led by Henry Daniell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, has bioengineered a chewing gum containing a protein found in the hyacinth bean that reduced human papillomavirus levels in saliva samples by 93%, according to the researchers.

Context

The protein, called FRIL, causes viruses to clump together, preventing them from entering a cell, and can also block viruses already inside a cell to thwart further infection, according to the research team.

Daniell said the team identified the FRIL protein while searching for an antiviral compound capable of binding and destroying multiple viruses. He told the New York Post that the team has been able to neutralize at least five different viruses found in the oral cavity.

The gum targets three microbes linked to oral cancer, including HPV, which the source describes as the most common sexually transmitted infection. Daniell said the amount of bean powder required to fight the viruses makes the gum cost pennies to develop.

The research team is awaiting FDA approval to proceed to the next phase of clinical trials, in which the gum would be administered directly to human subjects over a four-week period, with participants chewing the gum three times a day, Daniell said.

All Perspectives
Henry Daniell, lead researcher: Daniell told the New York Post: 'We have at least five different viruses in the oral cavity that we have been able to neutralize.' On cost, he said: 'That's probably the biggest advantage of this — it's going to be absolutely low cost.'
Position not represented in the source reporting: FDA.
Gaps & Unknowns
  • The source does not state in which journal or venue the research was published or whether it has been peer-reviewed.
  • The source does not identify the three specific microbes linked to oral cancer that the gum targets beyond naming HPV as one of them.
  • The source does not state the size or design of the saliva-sample study in which the 93% reduction was recorded.
  • The source does not state when the FDA application was submitted or when a decision is expected.
  • The source does not include any independent scientific assessment of the findings.
  • The source text supplied appears truncated; some material may be missing.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. New York Post — original

Read the original at New York Post

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