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. Equivalence of Lauric Acid and Glycerol Monolaurate as Inhibitors

Equivalence of Lauric Acid and Glycerol Monolaurate as Inhibitors of Signal Transduction in Staphylococcus aureus
Alexey Ruzindagger and Richard P. Novick*

New York University Medical Center, Skirball Institute, New York, New York 10016

Received 8 October 1999/Accepted 7 February 2000

Glycerol monolaurate (GML) inhibits the expression of virulence factors in Staphylococus aureus and the induction of vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis, presumably by blocking signal transduction. Although GML is rapidly hydrolyzed by bacteria, one of the products, lauric acid, has identical inhibitory activity and is metabolized much more slowly. At least four distinct GML-hydrolyzing activities are identified in S. aureus: the secreted Geh lipase, residual supernatant activity in a geh-null mutant strain, a novel membrane-bound esterase, and a cytoplasmic activity.

Lauric acid is the main acid in coconut oil and in palm kernel oil (not to be confused with palm oil), and is believed to have antimicrobial properties.<1><2><3> It is also found in human milk (5.8% of total fat), cow's milk (2.2%), and goat's milk (4.5%).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauric_acid

[JackBeck]

2. Obama co-sponsored a bill with Olympia Snowe to increase funding for microbicides.

That's just yet another example of how aware this man is with where money should be directed.

[tabatha]

3. As long as we don't start creating monster microbes,

like bacteria are evolving to make anti-bacterials ineffective.

Glycerol monolaurate (GML) inhibits the expression of virulence factors in Staphylococus aureus and the induction of vancomycin resistance in Enterococcus faecalis, presumably by blocking signal transduction. Although GML is rapidly hydrolyzed by bacteria, one of the products, lauric acid, has identical inhibitory activity and is metabolized much more slowly.

Lauric acid is found naturally in coconuts and palm kernel oil, and does not seem to have been reduced in effectiveness over thousands of years.

(Listen to Thom Hartmann's show from today about this topic.)

[Yes We Did]

7. Oh you know it would only be a matter of time...

The military would find some way to turn it into a weapon, just like everything else.

[JackBeck]

8. Well, for starters, HIV is a virus, not a bacteria.

And viruses reproduce differently than bacteria, so I'm not quite sure why you would inject into the conversation something that happened that was unique to one type of germ and assume that it could happen to another.

[tabatha]

9. Yes, that was probably a dumb comment.

[tabatha]

10. So, I did some research and came up with this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_evolution

[pinto]

4. Agree. Effective, safe and affordable therapies are keys, worldwide. Vaginal and anal

blocks for HIV transmission, even if less than ideal, would go far in limiting more infections.

:hi:

[JackBeck]

5. Not having to worry about condom negotiation would definitely help with harm reduction.

The outcomes from initial clinical trials for microbicides is disappointing.

Yet it should be interesting to see what happens with tenofovir as these trials develop.

:pals: :hi:

[pinto]

6. Yeah, a work in progress.

:pals: