Live-in bugs fight HIV

Some of the 'friendly bacteria' found in yoghurt have been genetically modified to release a drug that blocks HIV infection, [email protected] reports today.

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News: Live-in bugs fight HIV

Some of the 'friendly bacteria' found in yoghurt have been genetically modified to release a drug that blocks HIV infection, [email protected] reports today. Although the bacteria have only been tested in the lab, scientists are optimistic that the technique could provide a cheaper and more effective way of delivering drugs to fight the spread of AIDS, by getting the bugs to live right where the drugs are needed most. The researchers, who report their findings in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, are now planning to test their HIV-fighting Lactococcus lactis in macaque monkeys. They say that the bugs might one day be incorporated into yoghurts that would deliver drug-producing bacteria straight to a woman's vagina, providing a week's worth of protection from a single dose.

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Published: 17 Jan 2006

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