New test for microbicides against HIV

A new laboratory test has been devised that can determine whether or not microbicides against HIV are safe to use on humans.

Experts at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University noted that a topical vaginal microbicide that could prevent the transmission of HIV to women would make a huge difference in regions where condoms are not widely used.

The researchers wrote in the Journal of Infectious Diseases that the need for a new microbicide is especially pressing in Africa.

Professor Betsy C Herold, the study leader, said: "Our findings strongly suggest that microbicides can increase the risk of HIV infection through a mechanism other that inflammation - namely, by disrupting the protective epithelial cell barrier.

"If confirmed by further study, this assay should be used early on to screen for microbicide safety before advancing a product to clinical trials involving thousands of women."

Albert Einstein College of Medicine stated that six out of ten people with HIV in Africa are female.

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