Ramjee Gita, Doncel Gustavo F, Mehendale Sanjay, Tolley Elizabeth E, Dickson Kim
HIV Prevention Research Unit, Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa.
AIDS Res Ther. 2008 Aug 15;5:19. doi: 10.1186/1742-6405-5-19.
Recently revised statistics show the number of individuals living with HIV at over 33 million worldwide, with 68% being in sub-Saharan Africa. Current HIV prevention methods, such as condom use, monogamy and abstinence, are not always feasible. The need for improved HIV preventative technologies remains urgent. Of these, microbicides represent a promising female-initiated preventative method. Microbicides are designed to be applied vaginally to prevent HIV and STI acquisition. Research is also being undertaken to assess the safety of the product during rectal application.The biannual Microbicides conference took place in New Delhi, India from 24-27 February 2008. The conference was open to delegates from the scientific and medical fields, as well as communities and advocates. In addition to microbicide research and development, the conference afforded the opportunity for the discussion of key issues such as ethics, acceptability, access, and community involvement.In this conference report we provide brief summaries of recent advancements made and challenges experienced in microbicide research and development, including updates on basic and clinical science, social and behavioural science, and community mobilisation and advocacy activities pertaining to clinical trials.
最近修订的统计数据显示，全球感染艾滋病毒的人数超过3300万，其中68%在撒哈拉以南非洲。目前的艾滋病毒预防方法，如使用避孕套、实行一夫一妻制和禁欲，并不总是可行的。改进艾滋病毒预防技术的需求仍然迫切。其中，杀微生物剂是一种有前景的由女性主动采取的预防方法。杀微生物剂设计用于阴道给药，以预防艾滋病毒和性传播感染。同时也在进行研究以评估该产品直肠给药时的安全性。2008年2月24日至27日，两年一度的杀微生物剂会议在印度新德里举行。该会议面向科学和医学领域的代表，以及社区和倡导者开放。除了杀微生物剂的研发，会议还提供了讨论关键问题的机会，如伦理、可接受性、可及性和社区参与等。在本会议报告中，我们简要总结了杀微生物剂研发方面的最新进展和遇到的挑战，包括基础和临床科学、社会和行为科学的最新情况，以及与临床试验相关的社区动员和宣传活动。
