Yoghurt Bugs Engineered To Produce HIV-Drug

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics , Microbiology on February 1, 2006

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is a group of microorganisms commonly used for manufacturing milk products such as cheese and yoghurt. A research team from the Brown Medical School successfully engineered LAB to produce cynovirin in vitro, a protein that binds to HIV and prevents it from entering human cells in the mucous membranes.

"We've found that you can engineer these bugs to secrete drugs - in this case, a viricide that disables HIV," said Bharat Ramratnam, assistant professor of medicine at Brown Medical School and attending physician at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital. "The hope is to use the bacteria as the basis for a microbicide which can prevent sexual transmission of HIV."

Animal trials will begin mid-year to test its efficacy, and Ramratnam is hopeful to have a treatment ready for human clinical trials in three years.

Source: Brown Medical School