New Vaginal Gel Stops AIDS Virus

Cosmetic Ingredient GML Protects Monkeys From AIDS Virus

A new kind of vaginal gel prevents sexual transmission of the AIDS virus in monkey studies.

The anti-HIV ingredient in the gel is glycerol monolaurate or GML. It's already FDA approved as an ingredient in cosmetics and medicines.

"The results are very encouraging. They point to a novel avenue to prevent sexual transmission of HIV," study researcher Ashley T. Haase, MD, head of the microbiology department at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, said at a telephone news conference.

The surprise finding that GML can block HIV comes from basic research showing that the AIDS virus gains a foothold in the vagina by taking advantage of the body's immune system. Immune responses to the virus draw T cells — the white blood cells HIV loves to infect — to the site of infection. Without T-cell recruitment, HIV loses its grip.

That's where GML comes in. The antimicrobial agent affects immune responses and breaks the chain of events that let HIV spread through the body.

"We thought if we could modulate the immune response at the portal of HIV entry, we could block sexual transmission," Haase said. "[Colleague] Patrick Schlievert's work with GML showed that it had many properties that might block HIV expansion and systematic spread."

Haase, Schlievert, and colleagues gave five rhesus macaque monkeys daily GML treatments before putting 200 infectious doses of deadly SIV — the monkey version of HIV — into their vaginas. Another four animals got a gel without GML.

The four animals not given GML got AIDS. Those treated with GML showed no sign of infection during the short-term study, although one of the five animals showed signs of infection several months later. But just as HIV drugs with different modes of action are more effective when mixed into a drug "cocktail," Haase says GML could be mixed with different kinds of anti-HIV agents.

"GML could be part of a combined strategy with another vaginal microbicide, such as PRO 2000, with a different mechanism of action," he suggests.
Ingredients of GML Anti-HIV Gel in Common Use

GML is found in breast milk, Schlievert says, and it is used in many cosmetics and in medicines taken orally or used on the skin. And recent studies show that GML kills many different kinds of germs — including vaginal yeast infections and several different sexually transmitted diseases, said Schlievert, professor of microbiology at the University of Minnesota.

"GML is presently being considered as an additive to tampons because of its ability to interfere with bacterial growth, including the bacteria that cause toxic shock syndrome," Schlievert said at the news conference.

For vaginal use in the monkey studies — and with an eye toward future human use — GML was mixed with KY Warming Liquid, an over-the-counter product widely used as a personal lubricant.

"What was done was to combine two FDA-approved medical devices to create another approved device," Schlievert said.

However, Schlievert said GML has not yet been tested for long-term human use.

And there's a lot more work to do with monkeys before GML gel is ready for human tests. That will have to be done before human studies of GML gel for HIV prevention.

Haase, Schlievert, and colleagues report their findings in the March 4 online edition of the journal Nature.

From: Perez Hilton

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Tongue bite girlfriend faces jail

A woman who bit off her boyfriend's tongue during a drunken birthday kiss has been told she faces jail.

Tracy Davies, 40, bit off a third of Mark Coghill's tongue after telling him "you never give me smoochy kisses any more".

Each had drunk a bottle of vodka before the attack at his flat in Jesmond, Newcastle, in October.

Davies was convicted of grievous bodily harm but cleared of the same charge with intent at Newcastle Crown Court.

The jury heard that the couple were celebrating Mr Coghill's birthday when Davies grew upset because she was not pregnant.

As Mr Coghill, 45, moved to comfort her, she asked him to kiss her, the court heard.
They kissed and she bit down hard on his tongue, causing him to scream, and he tapped her on the head, hoping she would let go.

He said: "Then when she did stop, she opened her mouth and looked at me in such a way that I have never seen anyone do before."

Mr Coghill said he could see part of his tongue inside her mouth.

He said: "She let out a satisfaction sound, like if you have a cup of tea when you haven't had one for a few days.

"A 'mmmm' sound."

She then spat it on the floor, he said.

Taste buds

Davies later called paramedics, who alerted police, and when arrested she told officers: "You're joking."

Mr Coghill was treated at Newcastle General Hospital, but surgeons decided the risk of infection was too high to consider reattaching the torn tongue.

The former customer service adviser was no longer fit to work, struggled to speak and had lost many of his taste buds, the court heard.

Judge John Evans adjourned the case for three weeks to allow for pre-sentence reports.

He granted Davies bail, but warned she would be jailed.

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk

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Woman freed after days trapped in recycling bin

All you could see were these feet and hands up in the air," said Michele Ayala.

Unbelievably, 76-year-old Mary Davis was discovered in her Pemberton garage Tuesday morning essentially folded in half stuck inside a 25-gallon plastic recycling bucket. Police say the arthritic widow was knocked off balance by her dog, Dusty, and fell backside first into the can, trapping her.

"She said she had been in there for 2 days and she was really weak."

Neighbor and longtime family friend Michele Ayala had been concerned about not seeing or hearing from Mrs. Davis for several days. So was the woman's old friend Ruth Woodson.

"Today I just got up this morning. I couldn't get her so I said I dug myself out and I said let me go see if I can find her."

The concern deepened when the widow's daughter called from Missouri this morning saying she couldn't contact her mother.

Michele called police and headed to the house on Villanova Avenue, with a key, but all the outside doors were locked.

All you could see were these feet and hands up in the air," said Michele Ayala.

Unbelievably, 76-year-old Mary Davis was discovered in her Pemberton garage Tuesday morning essentially folded in half stuck inside a 25-gallon plastic recycling bucket. Police say the arthritic widow was knocked off balance by her dog, Dusty, and fell backside first into the can, trapping her.

"She said she had been in there for 2 days and she was really weak."

Neighbor and longtime family friend Michele Ayala had been concerned about not seeing or hearing from Mrs. Davis for several days. So was the woman's old friend Ruth Woodson.

"Today I just got up this morning. I couldn't get her so I said I dug myself out and I said let me go see if I can find her."

The concern deepened when the widow's daughter called from Missouri this morning saying she couldn't contact her mother.

Michele called police and headed to the house on Villanova Avenue, with a key, but all the outside doors were locked.

From: Perez Hilton

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A Pink Dolphin!

In Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana, a pink dolphin has been discovered!
The dolphin's "stunningly pink" color is the result of albinism, which is indicated by its red eyes as well as its pink skin. Don't worry, the dolphin is totally healthy. He's just pink!

Charter boat captain Erik Rue spotted and photographed the pink dolphin, saying, "I had never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body and it looks like it just came out of a paint booth."

Regina Asmutis-Silvia, senior biologist with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society reminds folks to "be careful, as with any dolphins, to respect it - observe from a distance, limit their time watching, don't chase or harass it."

That way everyone can enjoy the fabulous dolphin for as long as he lives!

From: Perez Hilton
[Image via CATERS NEWS.] 

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