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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Herpes / September 2005PRO 2000 gel Blocks HIV, Herpes
Vaginal Gel Blocks HIV, Herpes Friday, February 25, 2005 By Daniel J. DeNoon LINKS · Human Test: Novel Vaccine Stops HIV · Do You Know STDs and Their Symptoms? · Condom Quiz: Test Your Knowledge A vaginal gel has strong HIV- and herpes-blocking action even an hour after use. The gel is PRO 2000, now in large-scale clinical tests. It's hoped that the odorless, colorless product - what scientists call a vaginal microbicide - will slow the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The new findings come in a report by Mount Sinai School of Medicine researcher Marla Keller, MD, at this week's 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston. "There is an urgent need for the development of safe and effective vaginal microbicides," Keller says, in a news release. "While condoms offer protection against sexually transmitted infections, their effectiveness is limited because they require partner initiation or consent." A vaginal microbicide thus offers women a way to protect themselves against HIV and STDs, even if their sex partner refuses to use a condom. Keller's team randomly gave PRO 2000 - or an identical gel with no active ingredient - to 20 women with HIV infection. An hour later, they collected vaginal fluids from each of the women. In lab studies, they tested whether these vaginal fluids could prevent HIV or herpes infection of human cells. PRO 2000 treatment made it nearly 1,300 times harder for HIV to infect cells - nearly 500 times better than placebo. PRO 2000 also made it 2,600 times harder for herpes simplex virus (search) to infect cells - about 260 times better than placebo. And there's more good news: A microbicide won't do much good if it causes inflammatory responses that make vaginal tissues redden and swell. Analysis of PRO 2000-treated fluids showed no sign of the chemical messengers that trigger these unwanted responses. The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recently announced the start of a large trial testing PRO 2000 and another vaginal microbicide, BufferGel. Unlike PRO 2000, which contains a virus-blocking agent, BufferGel boosts the vagina's natural acidity, which hinders the ability of the virus to infect cells. The 2.5-year trial will take place in Philadelphia, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. PRO 2000 is made by Indevus Pharmaceuticals, in Lexington, Mass. BufferGel is made by ReProtect Inc., in Baltimore, Md. By Daniel J. DeNoon, reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD SOURCES: Keller, M. 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Boston, Feb. 22-25; abstract 535. News release, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Feb. 24, 2005. News release, NIAID, Feb. 11, 2005. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,148767,00.html The topical microbicide PRO 2000 protects against genital herpes infection in a mouse model. Bourne N, Bernstein DI, Ireland J, Sonderfan AJ, Profy AT, Stanberry LR. Division of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. bourn0@chmcc.org Vaginal gel formulations containing the naphthalene sulfonate polymer PRO 2000 are being developed as topical microbicides to protect against infection with sexually transmitted disease (STD) pathogens. A mouse model was used to determine whether PRO 2000 could protect against genital herpes in vivo. Animals received a single intravaginal application of 15 microL of a 10% PRO 2000 aqueous solution or a 4.0% or 0.5% PRO 2000 vaginal gel formulation 20 s prior to intravaginal challenge with 4.0 log10 pfu of herpes simplex virus type 2. Treatment with the 4.0% gel provided complete protection against infection; treatment with the 0.5% gel or 10% solution provided 81% and 80% protection, respectively. Furthermore, the 4% gel provided significant protection even when viral challenge was delayed until 60 min after treatment. This is the first report to show that PRO 2000 can protect against infection with an STD pathogen in vivo. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1 0353881&dopt=Abstract Candidate Topical Microbicides Bind Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein B and Prevent Viral Entry and Cell-to-Cell Spread sulfated or sulfonated polysaccharides (SPs) These studies support the concept that SPs should provide protection against HSV by preventing viral binding, entry, and cell-to-cell spread. The effects may be long lasting due to the high affinity and stability of the SP-virus complex. Importantly, these compounds retain their antiviral activities in the presence of cervical secretions and over a broad pH range. Prior to the initiation of large-scale clinical trials, more rigorous evaluation of the safety of this class of compounds and all topical formulations should include a thorough investigation of the changes in inflammatory cells and cytokines and the effects on host defenses following repeated applications. full free article, at: http://aac.asm.org/cgi/content/full/48/6/2025?view=long&pmid=15155195 > A vaginal microbicide thus offers women a way to protect themselves > against HIV and STDs, even if their sex partner refuses to use a > condom. I'm sorry...If he's refusing to wear a condom, she should be refusing to have sex with him. Other than that, it's an interesting notion...to be used in conjunction with a traditional condom! ~ SongStar songstar writes: >I'm sorry...If he's refusing to wear a condom, she should be refusing to >have sex with him. In the U.S., you have that choice (theoretically). But in other countries, it's not always the case. In a culture where a wife is required to have sex with her husband on his terms, not hers, it seems to me this would be a good alternative for her. I first began reading about microbiocide research a few years ago. This one, as well as several others, was in clinical trials even way back then. So this isn't new news. It does, however, demonstrate the time, effort, and amount of testing that it takes to get a product to market. It may not be the final answer we're all looking for, but if the tests work out, it could certainly be a good tool to reduce risk in the mean time. M2 I DONT think I'll be trying it.. better safe than sorry.. ( I didnt read it all- but it doesnt look promising) Vaginal Gel Blocks HIV, Herpes Friday, February 25, 2005 By Daniel J. DeNoon LINKS · Human Test: Novel Vaccine Stops HIV · Do You Know STDs and Their Symptoms? · Condom Quiz: Test Your Knowledge A vaginal gel has strong HIV- and herpes-blocking action even an hour after use. The gel is PRO 2000, now in large-scale clinical tests. It's hoped that the odorless, colorless product - what scientists call a vaginal microbicide - will slow the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The new findings come in a report by Mount Sinai School of Medicine researcher Marla Keller, MD, at this week's 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston. "There is an urgent need for the development of safe and effective vaginal microbicides," Keller says, in a news release. "While condoms offer protection against sexually transmitted infections, their effectiveness is limited because they require partner initiation or consent." A vaginal microbicide thus offers women a way to protect themselves against HIV and STDs, even if their sex partner refuses to use a condom. Keller's team randomly gave PRO 2000 - or an identical gel with no active ingredient - to 20 women with HIV infection. An hour later, they collected vaginal fluids from each of the women. In lab studies, they tested whether these vaginal fluids could prevent HIV or herpes infection of human cells. PRO 2000 treatment made it nearly 1,300 times harder for HIV to infect cells - nearly 500 times better than placebo. PRO 2000 also made it 2,600 times harder for herpes simplex virus (search) to infect cells - about 260 times better than placebo. And there's more good news: A microbicide won't do much good if it causes inflammatory responses that make vaginal tissues redden and swell. Analysis of PRO 2000-treated fluids showed no sign of the chemical messengers that trigger these unwanted responses. The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recently announced the start of a large trial testing PRO 2000 and another vaginal microbicide, BufferGel. Unlike PRO 2000, which contains a virus-blocking agent, BufferGel boosts the vagina's natural acidity, which hinders the ability of the virus to infect cells. The 2.5-year trial will take place in Philadelphia, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. PRO 2000 is made by Indevus Pharmaceuticals, in Lexington, Mass. BufferGel is made by ReProtect Inc., in Baltimore, Md. By Daniel J. DeNoon, reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD SOURCES: Keller, M. 12th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Boston, Feb. 22-25; abstract 535. News release, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Feb. 24, 2005. News release, NIAID, Feb. 11, 2005. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,148767,00.html |
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