Anti-Microbial/HIV-1 Peptide as a Vaginal Contraceptive

Nongnuj Tanphaichitr of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (formerly Ottawa Health Research Institute) in Canada will research whether the antimicrobial peptide LL-37 can be used simultaneously as a contraceptive and an anti-HIV treatment. LL-37 binds to specific sites on sperm which are thought not only to play key roles in egg fertilization but also interact with gp120 used by HIV to gain entry into cells.