Semen may interfere with HIV microbicides

[riky]

Semen may interfere with HIV microbicides

<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/semen-may-interfere-hiv-microbicides-215249769.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/jr72HnZywGAjdmkuqpPgzQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9NzU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/197978d172eafa6f05b6c58ff661b5564274553b.jpg" width="130" height="86" alt="HIV protection gel for women is seen during the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna on July 21, 2010" align="left" title="HIV protection gel for women is seen during the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna on July 21, 2010" border="0" /></a>Semen appears to interfere with microbicide gels to prevent HIV, possibly explaining why they work in the lab but not in real-life situations, scientists said Wednesday. Protein fragments found in semen hamper the work of microbicides applied to the vagina, said the report in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Known as amyloid fibrils, these particles in semen &quot;act like glue to attach HIV particles to the cell surface and boost viral infectivity,&quot; said the study led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Ulm in Germany. These microbicides were originally developed as a way to empower sub-Saharan African women who may not be able to negotiate condom use with their partners.</p><br clear="all"/>

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