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BIOMEDICAL INTERVENTIONS MICROBICIDES AND VACCINES Overview Vaccines This fact sheet will focus on microbicides, preventative vaccines, and therapeutic vaccines as HIV prevention tactics. In order to effectively raise the bars for prevention within the HIV care continuum, health departments, medical providers, and the community need to understand the need for and importance of using the existing biomedical prevention tools, monitor the landscape of new(er) biomedical tools, and combine these interventions with traditional behavioral prevention methods. For additional resources, view this microbicide overview (International Partnership for Microbicides) and HIV Vaccines Explained (National Institutes of Health). Vaccines are chemical or biological substances that are injected into the body to force the body’s immune system to recognize, react, and respond to a particular virus or bacteria. There are two types of vaccines: Preventative vaccines: used to teach the body to protect against a particular disease without the individual ever becoming sick Therapeutic vaccines: used to treat individuals who already have a particular disease. Microbicides Microbicides are gels, films, or suppositories that can destroy or neutralize viruses and/or bacteria. An example of a microbicide is an anti-bacterial hand sanitizer. There are currently no microbicides commercially available for use in preventing HIV infection, but there is promising research, CAPRISA 004 Microbicide Study in 2010. This study demonstrated that a microbicide gel containing an antiretroviral (ARV) medication traditionally used to treat HIV was 39% effective in reducing a woman’s risk of infection via sexual activity if used before and after each event of sexual activity. Additional research is occurring around the world to trying to find effective ARV and other agents, as well as other formulations (e.g. gels, creams, lubricants, douches, rings, etc.) The use of microbicides could be significant in preventing HIV because they would be easier to use than condoms and they could be used without negotiation between sexual partners prior to intercourse. The eventual use of microbicides could also lead to protection from HIV and allow serodiscordant couples to conceive without risk of transmission to the negative partner and/or the unborn child. These types of vaccines would have the greatest impact on HIV infections globally, but at this time there are no commercial vaccines available. Research is occurring around the world to isolate and identify an effective vaccine for HIV. The greatest challenge for vaccine development is that the HIV virus does not behave like other viruses and rapidly mutates making it highly elusive. Due the rapid mutation of the HIV virus, researchers have been examining possible vaccines options from a variety of angles. In 2009, The Thai HIV vaccine study showed that a preventative vaccine is possible, but this particular study used a boosted vaccine regimen and was focused on a particular region on HIV’s envelop protein and the resulting immune response. Other vaccine or cure related research is focused on gene therapy or gene manipulation to create a strong immune response in the body to prevent infection. Having multiple prevention interventions available will provide greater opportunities for individuals to choose effective prevention methods that work for them and their partners, which will lead to significant decreases of HIV infection. Last Updated: December 2014