December, 2010 – Wickline won a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that will fund the development of a new vaginal antiviral contraceptive gel. Wickline’s gel will contain nanoparticles that will target both sperm and HIV and deliver a toxic bee venom that will incapacitate both the cell and the virus.
“Sperm and HIV are remarkably similar in their natural mechanism of genetic transmission,” Wickline said in a press release. “Both need to fuse with their target cell in order to deliver their genetic payloads — DNA in the case of sperm, and RNA in the case of HIV.”
The nanoparticles in the gel are synthetic lipids, or fats, created by Wickline and his Wash. U. colleague Dr. Gregory Lanza. They will act as decoys to attract sperm and HIV. When the sperm or virus fuses with the nanoparticles to deliver its DNA or RNA, the nanoparticles will transfer a toxin called melitten that will destroy the sperm of the virus by poking holes in the cell membrane.
Melitten is derived from the venom of the honeybee; hence, the nanoparticles are known as “nanobees.”
Of course, there’s the problem of how to make sure the nanobees attack only sperm cells and HIV, not other useful cells. Wickline and a colleague, Dr. Paul Schlesinger, tackled this problem two years ago by adding molecules to the nanobees that will bind with receptors only on the target cells.
The nanobees are also too large to leave the vaginal vault and travel to other parts of the body.
Grand Challenges Explorations funds research projects to improve global health. Wickline’s contraceptive gel would especially benefit women in sub-Saharan Africa, who accounted for 68 percent of new HIV cases in 2008 and have the world’s highest fertility rate, with an average of 5.6 children.
Wickline was one of 65 scientists selected for the grant program this month. If he’s successful, the Gates Foundation will increase the amount of grant money to up to $1 million.
At least two other labs in the U.S. and Canada are working on similar projects to target and destroy HIV and sperm simultaneously. One proposes using bacteria, the other proteins.
Source: http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2010/11/washington_university_contraception_bee_venom_sam_wickline.php
January 16, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Most of the bee venom webpages are pretty much the same but i think yours add value. Grats !
January 9, 2012 at 1:39 pm
I don’t unremarkably comment but I gotta tell thanks for the post on this amazing one : D.
January 12, 2012 at 8:51 am
Hello! Thank you for your article! Actually I have never come across anything that interesting.
February 1, 2012 at 10:45 am
“Bee Venom may stop HIV transmission” was stored as a favorite
, I really like your site!
February 4, 2012 at 3:05 pm
Great post. I was checking continuously this pageand I’m impressed! Extremely useful info – particularly the last paragraph
I care for such info very much.