Get $200 with your 1st order. Same day blood tests, next day results. Google reviews

Private MD News

Home | News | HIV

Study shows microbicide gel may prevent HIV transmission

Category: HIV

A study published in the journal PLoS Pathogens was conducted by researchers at the European Combined Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Microbicides (CHAARM) consortium, shows that a newly developed microbicide gel may be able to prevent patients from contracting HIV.

The gel's active ingredient are peptides known as miniCD4s that act like the body's receptors where the HIV virus can access the body. Earlier laboratory research showed that the miniCD4s were able to prevent HIV from accessing individual cells in a dish as well as mucous membranes in a tissue sample.

The research investigators produced a gel with the miniCD4 peptides. It was put into six female cynomolgus macaques monkeys. An hour later, the doctors introduced the HIV virus into the vaginas of the primates. The virus was not present in the tissues of any of the animals, and there were no reactive antibodies detected. This demonstrates that the virus was completely inhibited from entering the monkeys' systems.

HIV statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1,148,200 people who were at least 13 years old were estimated to have HIV at the end of 2009, 18 percent of whom had not been diagnosed with the condition.

The source also reports that approximately 50,000 people contract HIV annually in the U.S. and in 2009, a recorded 48,100 people were diagnosed with the disease.

Further HIV prevention
Additional non-medical means of HIV prevention, recommended by Avert.org, are HIV testing, using condoms, circumcision and family planning. There are also treatment methods that can lower a patient's viral load and reduce his or her risk of transmitting the virus. Some HIV treatments are used to prevent mothers from passing on the disease to their children during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and they are also used by couples who may be exposed to HIV.

Related Articles from Private MD:

News Categories:

Advanced Lipid Treatment I   Allergy Testing   Anemia and RBC disorders   Autoimmune Diseases   Bariatric Lab Testing   Blood and Blood Diseases   Breast   Cancer Detection and Tumor Markers   Celiac Disease Testing   Chlamydia   Coagulation and blood clotting disorders   Colon   DNA, Paternity and Genetic testing   Diabetes   Drug Screening   Environmental Toxin Testing   Female Specific Tests   Gastrointestinal Diseases   General Health   General Wellness   HIV   HIV monitoring/Treatment/Testing/Post Diagnos   Heart Health and Cholesterol   Herpes   Hormones and Metabolism   Infectious Diseases   Infertility Testing-Male   Infertitlity Hormone Testing   Kidney Diseases   Leukemia and WBC disorders   Liver   Liver Diseases   Lyme Disease   Male Specific Tests   Menopause/Peri-Menopausal Diagnosis   Musculoskeletal Diseases   Nicotine Screening   Organ Specific Testing   Ovarian   Prostate   Prostate   Sexually Transmitted Diseases   Thyroid Diseases   Transgender Hormone Testing-Male to Female   Transgender Hormone Testing-female to male   Vitamin D Deficiency-Diagnosis and Treatment   

Visit the Health News Archive: Click Here

Questions about online blood testing or how to order a lab test?

Speak with our Wellness Team: (877) 283-7882
Back to top