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Population Council scientists have been exploring how HIV is
transmitted sexually since the late 1980s. They discovered that
HIV-infected cells found in semen and cervical-vaginal secretions could
infect the epithelial cells that line the reproductive tract. After
determining how epithelial cells become infected in vitro (in test
tubes), researchers tested hundreds of compounds to assess which were
effective in preventing infection. Compounds called sulfated
polysaccharides stood out as especially promising.
To test the efficacy of potential microbicide formulations, researchers
developed a small-animal system to mimic the physiological events of human
sexual transmission of HIV. One sulfated polysaccharide, carrageenan,
proved far more effective at protecting mice from infection than any other
substance tested. The Council's candidate
microbicide, Carraguard®,
was developed from carrageenan, and it is the source of formulations that Council scientists continue to
develop and test.
See Also
Contact: microbicide@popcouncil.org
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What's New |
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HIV prevention news: PRO 2000, a candidate microbicide developed by Indevus
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and tested in a clinical trial in six countries
on two continents, was found to be safe and to have reduced the risk
of HIV infection by 30 percent. While not statistically significant,
this finding was welcomed by the HIV-prevention field as an optimistic
sign for future success. (more)
The Lancet’s 6 December issue features results from the Phase
3 trial of Carraguard®. (Trial results were announced previously by
the Population Council in February 2008.) (more)
For fact sheets and other resources about the Carraguard
trial, click here
Presentations at the Microbicides 2008
conference in New Delhi by Council researchers are available. (more)
"Benefits of the Population Council's microbicides program
and Phase 3 Carraguard trial" (2008) (PDFs:
A4 and
letter)
Stay Informed
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this and other research areas.
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Publications/Resources |
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"The
Population Council, HIV/AIDS, and microbicides,"
a fact sheet for those
seeking additional information about the Carraguard trials (full
text) (PDF)
"Our current
microbicide trials: Lessons learned and to be learned" (2006) (PDF)
Testing Carraguard: What You Need to Know
(2004) (PDF)
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