Scientists found that the gel is equipped with an anti-retroviral drugs can prevent HIV-like virus infection in monkeys. The innovative gel prospected to be used in humans to prevent HIV infection.
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| The gel was tested vaginally in six macaque monkeys, and was applied up to three hours after they were exposed to simian immunodeficiency virus. (Picture from: http://www.iol.co.za/) |
As reported by the New York Times, on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, it has advantages because the gel can prevent HIV-infected individuals up to 3 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse. This gel is useful for instance for the victims of rape.
Scientists tested with 12 monkeys. A number of 6 monkeys given this gel after infecting with HIV action while others do not. Scientists discovered that the infection can indeed suppressed in monkeys who were given the gel.
Gel containing ralteglavir given to monkeys, the type of anti-retroviral drugs that have been used to treat patients with HIV is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.
The results of the study revealed that the monkeys were given the gel 3 hours after contact with HIV, only 5 of the 6 infected individuals. In the other group, all infected. In different experiments with 3 individual monkeys were given a gel 30 minutes before contact with HIV, only one infected.
Walid Heneine of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who led the study, said he did not know why there are infected. "We wondered how two people could be infected, but we could not find the reason."
However, Robert M. Grant, AIDS expert from the University of California, said that the results of this study are awesome and should encourage researchers to quickly mengujikannya in humans. However, he said, there are ethical challenges to do so. *** [EKA | FROM VARIUOS SOURCES | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC]
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