Population Council Research that makes a difference

Thomas Zydowsky, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Tom Zydowsky is a senior scientist at the Population Council’s Center for Biomedical Research. He leads the microbicide chemistry and product development teams, preparing next-generation microbicides that women can use to block the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Zydowsky received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Georgia and a certificate in regulatory writing from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Following a National Institutes of Health fellowship with Heinz Floss and Leo Paquette at the Ohio State University, Zydowsky joined Abbott Laboratories, where he designed and synthesized renin inhibitors, angiotensin II antagonists, and nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. He also worked at Cubist Pharmaceuticals (anti-infectives), Shipley (semiconductor materials), Eisai Research Institute (GPCR inhibitors), and FMC Corporation (GABA inhibitors and muscarinic agonists).

Thomas Zydowsky, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Nonclinical Laboratory Studies: Microbicide Formulation and Delivery (more)
Population Council laboratory scientists are developing vaginal rings and water-based gels to deliver microbicide formulations.
(1/2004 - ongoing)
Topics: HIV biomedical research; Microbicides
Countries: United States

Nonclinical Laboratory Studies: PC-1005 Gel (Carrageenan with Added MIV-150 and Zinc Salts) (more)
Council scientists are investigating microbicide gels containing carrageenan, MIV-150, and zinc salts that might block acquisition and transmission of HIV.
(1/2004 - ongoing)
Topics: HIV biomedical research; Microbicides
Countries: United States

Nonclinical Laboratory Studies: PC-700 Series Gels (Carrageenan with Zinc Salts) (more)
Council researchers are studying microbicide gels containing carrageenan and zinc salts that might block acquisition and transmission of herpes and HIV.
(1/2000 - ongoing)
Topics: HIV biomedical research; Microbicides
Countries: United States

Nonclinical Laboratory Studies: Vaginal Rings Loaded with MIV-150 (more)
Council scientists are conducting studies of vaginal rings releasing MIV-150 that might provide continuous protection from acquisition and transmission of HIV for at least one month.
(1/2007 - ongoing)
Topics: HIV biomedical research; Microbicides
Countries: United States

Role of Integrins in HIV/SIV Transmission Across the Cervico-Vaginal Mucosa (more)
Council researchers are studying the earliest stages of vaginal HIV infection in rhesus macaques.
(3/2012 - 3/2017)
Topics: HIV biomedical research
Countries: United States

Thomas Zydowsky, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

A single dose of a MIV-150/zinc acetate gel provides 24 h of protection against vaginal simian human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase infection, with more limited protection rectally 8-24 h after gel use  (abstract) (HTML) 
Kenney,Jessica; Singer,Rachel; Derby,Nina R.; Aravantinou,Meropi; Abraham,Ciby J.; Menon,Radhika; Seidor,Samantha; Zhang,Shimin; Gettie,Agegnehu; Blanchard,James; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Robbiani,Melissa
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 28(11): 1476-1484
Publication date: 2012

An intravaginal ring that releases the NNRTI MIV-150 reduces SHIV transmission in macaques  (abstract) (HTML) 
Singer,Rachel; Mawson,Paul; Derby,Nina R.; Rodriguez,Aixa; Kizima,Larisa; Menon,Radhika; Goldman,Daniel; Kenney,Jessica; Aravantinou,Meropi; Seidor,Samantha; Gettie,Agegnehu; Blanchard,James; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Robbiani,Melissa; Zydowsky,Thomas M.
Science Translational Medicine 4(150)
Publication date: 2012

The nonnucleoside reverse transcription inhibitor MIV-160 delivered from an intravaginal ring, but not from a carrageenan gel, protects against simian/human immunodeficiency virus-RT infection  (abstract) (PDF) 
Aravantinou,Meropi; Singer,Rachel; Derby,Nina R.; Calenda,Giulia; Mawson,Paul; Abraham,Ciby J.; Menon,Radhika; Seidor,Samantha; Goldman,Daniel; Kenney,Jessica; Villegas,Guillermo; Gettie,Agegnehu; Blanchard,James; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Teleshova,Natalia; Robbiani,Melissa
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 28(11): 1467-1475
Publication date: 2012

Zinc acetate/carrageenan gels exhibit potent activity in vivo against high dose HSV-2 vaginal and rectal challenge  (abstract) 
Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Abraham,Ciby J.; Rodriguez,Aixa; Kizima,Larisa; Jean-Pierre,Ninochka; Menon,Radhika; Begay,Othell; Seidor,Samantha; Ford,Brian E.; Gil,Pedro I.; Peters,Jennifer; Katz,David; Robbiani,Melissa; Zydowsky,Thomas M.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 56(1): 358-368
Publication date: 2012

An antiretroviral/zinc combination gel provides 24 hours of complete protection against vaginal SHIV infection in macaques  (abstract) (PDF) 
Kenney,Jessica; Aravantinou,Meropi; Singer,Rachel; Hsu,Mayla; Rodriguez,Aixa; Kizima,Larisa; Abraham,Ciby J.; Menon,Radhika; Seidor,Samantha; Chudolij,Anne; Gettie,Agegnehu; Blanchard,James; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Robbiani,Melissa
PLoS ONE 6(1): E15835-
Publication date: 2011

Identification of personal lubricants that can cause rectal epithelial cell damage and enhance HIV-1 replication in vitro  (abstract) 
Begay,Othell; Jean-Pierre,Ninochka; Abraham,Ciby J.; Chudolij,Anne; Seidor,Samantha; Rodriguez,Aixa; Ford,Brian E.; Henderson,Marcus; Katz,David; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Robbiani,Melissa; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses 27(9): 1019-1024
Publication date: 2011

The nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor MIV-150 in carrageenan gel prevents rectal transmission of simian/human immunodeficiency virus infection in macaques  (abstract) 
Singer,Rachel; Derby,Nina R.; Rodriguez,Aixa; Kizima,Larisa; Kenney,Jessica; Aravantinou,Meropi; Chudolij,Anne; Gettie,Agegnehu; Blanchard,James; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Robbiani,Melissa
Journal of Virology 85(11): 5504-5512
Publication date: 2011

Validation of a dye stain assay for vaginally inserted hydroxyethylcellulose-filled microbicide applicators  (abstract) 
Katzen,Lauren L.; Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Sarna,Avina; Murugavel,Kailapuri G.; Gawarecki,Daniel; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Mensch,Barbara S.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 38(11): 1050-1055
Publication date: 2011

A macaque model to study vaginal HSV-2/immunodeficiency virus co-infection and the impact of HSV-2 on microbicide efficacy  (abstract) (HTML) 
Crostarosa,Federica; Aravantinou,Meropi; Akpogheneta,Onome J.; Jasny,Edith; Shaw,Andrew; Kenney,Jessica; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Teitelbaum,Aaron; Hu,Lieyu; Chudolij,Anne; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Blanchard,James; Gettie,Agegnehu; Robbiani,Melissa
PLoS ONE 4(11): e8060 (1)-e8060 (14)
Publication date: 2009

Efficacy of Carraguard-based microbicides in vivo despite variable in vitro activity  (abstract) (PDF) 
Turville,Stuart G.; Aravantinou,Meropi; Miller,Todd; Kenney,Jessica; Teitelbaum,Aaron; Hu,Lieyu; Chudolij,Anne; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Bess Jr.,Julian W.; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Blanchard,James; Gettie,Agegnehu; Robbiani,Melissa
PLoS ONE 3(9): e3162-
Publication date: 2008

Microbicides: Chemistry, structure, and strategy  (abstract) 
Zydowsky,Thomas M.
Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS 3(5): 548-553
Publication date: 2008

Thomas Zydowsky, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Evaluating the use of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors in carrageenan-based microbicides (abstract)  
Presentation at XVII International AIDS Conference, Mexico City, 3-8 August
Fernandez-Romero,Jose A.; Maguire,Robin A.; Zydowsky,Thomas M.; Mawson,Paul; Chudolij,Anne; Begay,Othell; Ford,Brian E.; Phillips,David M.
Publication date: 2008