While investigating transit molecules that allow viral molecules to enter the cell, Curtis Brandt, UW professor of ophthalmology and medical microbiology, found those transit molecules, called peptides, actually prevent viral molecules from penetrating the cell.
'It turns out that the membrane-transiting peptides themselves are antiviral,' Brandt said. 'This is an excellent case of scientific serendipity.'
The peptides are synthetic, but they are created from the blueprint for naturally occurring peptides found in fruit flies and HIV.
This discovery could be used in vaginal creams to give women another option that does not rely solely on their partner.
Although the cream would likely not be 100 percent effective, Brandt and his collaborators recently received a large grant from the National Institute of Health to develop a topical cream.
Brandt also has applied for a patent on the technology through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
