Posts
Researchers, led by Kim Woodrow at
the bioengineering lab of the University of Washington, have produced
electrically spun cloth with nanometer-sized fibers that can dissolve and
release drugs to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. The fabric
is formed through electrospinning, which uses an electric field to turn jets of
fluids into fibers so thin that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. The
fibers can be made from a variety of polymers, made thicker or thinner as
needed to dissolve, hold their shape, or deliver one or several drugs at the
same time. The meshes of the fibers can be shaped in different ways to create a
physical barrier like a diaphragm or cervical cap or a fast-dissolving device
such as vaginal contraceptive films that are wrapped over a finger and inserted
into the vagina. The films dissolve on contact with moisture similar to breath
strips that melt in the mouth.
The team tried various compounds
including glycerol monolaurate, a food and cosmetic additive which has been
shown to inhibit transmission of HIV and other viruses in mucus. The study
showed that this compound also has spermicidal properties. According to
Woodrow, the long-term goal is to create a technology that can provide
contraception and HIV prevention simultaneously. It is also important that
women can control the products and use them discreetly without having to
negotiate with their partners.
Woodrow stated that the team has been
thinking about Africa, where the majority of the 34 million people with HIV
live. She also noted that the technology could be adapted easily to meet the
needs in different places in the United States, by providing an easy birth
control method that would also protect against STDs. She is very interested in
delivering nonhormonal chemical contraceptives in ways that are as effective as
the hormones, but without the adverse effects.
The study, “Drug-Eluting Fibers for
HIV-1 Inhibition and Contraception,” was published online in the journal PLoS
ONE (7(11): e49792. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049792).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
