A UCLA professor received a $4.5 million grant from the National
Institutes of Health to continue researching a new method for
preventing HIV transmission.
Dr. Peter Anton, a professor at UCLA’s Geffen School of
Medicine, received the award, which adds onto a $12.7 million grant
he received in 2004 for similar research.
But while the original award funded research into preventing HIV
transmitted through regular sexual intercourse, the new grant is
intended specifically for research for preventing HIV transmitted
through anal intercourse.
Anton and his team are working to develop microbicides, medicine
that prevents the transmission of HIV by blocking the virus from
binding to and infecting human cells.
While most microbicide research has concerned gels that could be
applied to vaginal tissue, Anton’s project focuses on
developing microbicides for rectal tissue.
“Microbicides are the first new protections (against HIV)
after condoms and other behavioral modifications,” Anton
said. “This will save lives.”
He said he hopes microbicides will eventually be incorporated
into lubricants and condoms, products people use anyway.
“You’re not asking patients to change their
behavior. You’re just asking them to buy product A instead of
product B,” he said.
Anton said scientists are also keeping cost in mind as they
develop microbicides, and eventually hope to market a dose of
microbicides at about the same price as a single condom.
But for the moment, microbicides are still in the research stage
of development.
Charles Price, the project coordinator, said researchers have
done some tests of the new microbicides on rectal tissues taken
from animals and expect to begin testing on humans within the next
couple of months.
Anton said vaginal microbicides may hit the market in three to
five years, while rectal microbicides may take five to seven
years.
Price added that in addition to determining whether
rectal-specific microbicides are effective and safe, researchers
must also confront logistical issues, including how they can make
the product acceptable to both partners.
He said that need was highlighted by researchers’
observations of conditions in Africa.
“The (HIV) epidemic there is so disturbing,” he
said. “Women have little control over condom use.
That’s why there has been talk about covert use of this
product, which is problematic because you really want both partners
to know, but you don’t have too many options.”
He added that in the future scientists may also work on
developing microbicides that prevent sexually transmitted diseases
other than HIV.
According to a press release from UCLA Health Sciences, the work
funded by the new grant is being done in conjunction with
scientists from Johns Hopkins, the University of Pittsburgh and the
Contraceptive Research and Development program ““ a branch of
the United States Agency for International Development dedicated to
expanding the use of contraceptives and preventing the spread of
HIV and other STDs.