Cross Post GD: Compound may block HIV infection

[Yes We Did]

Researchers have identified a cheap, commonly-used compound that, applied vaginally, can stop monkeys being infected with a primate version of HIV. The discovery, by the University of Minnesota, raises hopes of a similar microbicidal treatment to block HIV transmission in humans.

The study - focusing on a compound called glycerol monolaurate (GML) - is published online by the journal Nature. GML is a naturally occurring compound widely used as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent in food and cosmetics. Crucially, it is also cheap, and is likely to protect against other sexually transmitted infections too.

Lead researcher Dr Ashley Haase said that if GML proved to be effective in blocking HIV it could potentially help to save millions of lives. A majority of cases of HIV worldwide are now contracted vaginally, and in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the pandemic is at its most intense, women account for nearly 60% of new infections.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7921195.stm

[tabatha]

1. cross-post, too

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5188644#5188684

[Clintonista2]

2. Uh oh, the fundies must be up in arms about this

What do they enjoy better than watching gays die of AIDS?

[bluedawg12]

3. Sounds interesting, still very preliminary, but interesting

thanks for the article.

Here's a link to the Nature abstract, the full article is per pay, but the abstract is free.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature07831.html

[TEmperorHasNoClothes]

4. skeptical

AIDS is too serious of an illness to count on something like this to prevent AIDS there have been so much inaccurate information about what does and doesn't cause, or prevent AIDS. There doesn't need to to be false information out in the public about this. Doing clinical trials will be a nightmare, even if there was something to this possible prevention and longitudinal studies will have to be used to see if the virus outlast the gel.
Let's not forget WEB MD is pay to play too.