Pennsylvania: Magee Group to Study Microbicides for Blocking HIV Virus

Dr. Sharon Hillier, a senior investigator at the Magee-Womens Research Institute and a professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, was recently named the principal investigator of the Microbicide Trials Network, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

On June 29, NIAID announced the centers and investigators who will head a six-center effort to develop new ways to prevent and treat HIV, including vaccine development and AIDS trials. This is the first time microbicide research is the focus of the network, reflecting recognition that new strategies are needed to prevent HIV transmission and allow women to control their susceptibility to infection, Hillier noted.

Microbicides are compounds that can be formulated as gels, creams, films or suppositories and applied inside the vagina to protect against STDs.

HIV infection is spreading to heterosexual women worldwide, including those who have been sexually active only with their husbands. Hillier said the ABCs of HIV prevention -- Abstinence, Being faithful and Condom use -- are not always practical for married women. Abstinence within marriage is unlikely, she said, and women are not in control of condom use.

Hillier and her team have focused for more than a decade on microbicides, including vaginal gels, to block sexual transmission of HIV. "This large grant will allow us to really go global," she said. "The products can be tested in the highest-risk countries internationally, as well as in studies domestically."

In July, three agents will be in clinical trials. A fourth could be added within a year. Hillier expects to study five to 10 agents during the next seven years. Besides gels, researchers plan to study vaginal rings that would slowly release the agent over a month. Investigators will watch for signs of drug resistance.

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