London - Could hydrogen peroxide, a chemical that is used to bleach hair, beat the common cold?
In a trial at Umea University in Sweden, participants will use a nose spray containing glucose oxidase — an enzyme that reacts with oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide — or a placebo five times a day after catching a cold.
The common cold is caused by rhinoviruses: hydrogen peroxide is known to inactivate them.
However, making a nasal spray of hydrogen peroxide is not possible, because an enzyme in mucus would convert it into water and oxygen before it reached the back of the nose where the virus accumulates.
The idea is that spraying glucose oxidase will produce enough hydrogen peroxide at the back of the nose to shorten the cold’s duration. - Daily Mail