AIDS researchers who hoped to develop a product that could invisibly protect women from HIV infection recently announced with disappointment that trials found that the product they expected to protect women from HIV infection HIV-infected spermicidal contraceptive creams can actually increase the risk of HIV infection.

At the 13th International AIDS Conference, Dr. Joseph Pillions, head of the HIV killer development team of the United Nations AIDS Program, pointed out that a drug called nonoxynol-9 (trade name advantage s), a spermicide marketed by Columbia Laboratories Co., Ltd. in the United States, not only failed to protect women in Benin, Ivory Coast, Thailand, and South Africa from HIV infection, but the users of the spermicide were less likely to be infected with HIV than those in the placebo control group. Higher HIV infection rates. 59 cases in the experimental group were infected, while only 41 cases in the control group were infected. This is a significant difference.

AIDS enthusiasts, researchers and health experts have long called for the development of microbicides like "invisible condoms" or "safety ointments" to protect people from HIV infection and other Infections with sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea. This microbicide allows a woman to protect herself from infection without the cooperation of her husband. But the test results of n-9 disappointed them.

The United Nations AIDS Program reports that its research targets have shifted to other microbicides. They are calling for new and more microbicides to be tested as quickly as possible in Phase 3 trials, the final phase of testing before a product is approved for market. But the problem now is a lack of funding and the reluctance of big pharmaceutical companies to research microbicides.

The Bill-Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $25 million grant for research into microbicides. The grant will go to the Conrad Institute for Collaborative Contraceptive Research Industry, a collaborative program run at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Association leader Henry Kabenik, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, said they will use the funds to accelerate research into several promising compounds, such as sulfate cellulose, a polymer that has been used in Europe in the past Used for contraceptive purposes. In labware, cellulose sulfate protects cells from HIV infection. In its early stages of research, the response has been promising, so they think it has a good chance of success.