Access
This article is part of Nature's premium content.
Published online 3 May 2009 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2009.435
News
Nano-delivery could help tackle HIV
Tiny plastic particles could smuggle therapies into cells.
Biomedical engineers have found a way of safely delivering potentially therapeutic RNAs into vaginal cells using nanoparticles. The researchers hope similar particles could be used to make topical creams containing anti-HIV RNAs.
To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right).
Comments
Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email webadmin@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.
nanoparticles have been known to get past the blood-brain barrier and so that should be considered in any "nanoparticle" product development.
This is a great start for non-conventional ways of treating against viruses. For too long we have been relying on antivirals and antibiotics. The search for that magic bullet may or may not come. However with more research it may be just a matter of time before we see laboratory engineered virus particles carrying with them siRNA as a method of delivery.
Nanodelivery of antiHIV-1 regimen is a praoseworthy initiative in a sense that it would be target specific and cost effective with minimal side effects. However,toxicity would be of prime concern to work out a viable therapeutic index while applying such tools in AIDS treatment.Nanoparticles can very easily invade the nontarget organs such as brain as well and may cause adverse effect(s).The outcome of future research in this direction may shed some light on such vital issues. Bechan Sharma, Ph.D.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Allahabad, India
Nanodelivery of antiHIV-1 regimen is a praiseworthy research initiative in a sense that it would be target-specific and cost-effective with minimal side effects. However,toxicity would be of prime concern to work out for a viable therapeutic index while applying such tools in AIDS treatment.Nanoparticles can very easily invade the nontarget organs such as brain as well and may cause adverse effect(s).The outcome of future research in this direction may shed some light on such vital issues. Bechan Sharma, Ph.D.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Allahabad, India
Thanks guys to work around the clock to save us, well dane God bless you all. Joram.
This is a superb step directed towards finding treatment strategies for HIV/AIDS. If the nano particles can cross the BBB (Blood-Brain Barrier), then will it be hypothetically right to think that bioengineered nano-particles can be used to treat HIV/AIDS even in the latency period? D. O. Harris, BSc. Biochemistry, Kenya.
The resemblance of Spermidine to Sperm is not coincidental.Spermidine is an imortant constituent of seminal fluid and is a very basic polyamine which helps to neutralize the acid pH of Vagina.
Hello - the author here. You're quite right that spermidine is a component of seminal fluid and hence the name; I meant only that it is a coincidence it is being used in this vaginal treatment. They tried several condensing agents and any might have been the best; it just so happened that spermadine was the best in this case.