Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- A simple salt-water spray may help cut the spread of germs that cause the majority of respiratory infections, according to a study of 11 volunteers that will appear this week in the journal of the Proccedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The number of pathogens exhaled by 11 men who used saline spray every six hours plunged by 72 percent, researchers said. The majority of the germs came from just six of the 11 men, according to the study, funded by Pulmatrix Inc., which plans to develop the spray into a product.

``Bioaerosols,'' small droplets of fluid that are exhaled from the lungs, carry most of the germs that spread diseases such as tuberculosis and SARS, researchers said. The salt-water spray coats the surface of the lungs, creating larger droplets that are less likely to exit the mouth or remain airborne, according to David Edwards, a professor at Harvard University's Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Edwards led the study and co-founded Pulmatrix to try and commercialize the spray. Pulmarix scientists and researchers from Inamed Corp., which sells surgical wrinkle-fillers and obesity treatments, also helped with the study.

Pulmatrix, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, plans to introduce an over-the-counter saline spray within the next two years, Chief Executive Mark Gabrielson said in an interview. The spray, administered through the mouth like a breath freshener, probably doesn't require U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, Edwards said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heather Burke in Princeton at hburke2@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 29, 2004 19:25 EST