National Cancer Institute researchers say a seaweed extract “floored” them with its ability to kill HPV, the virus that causes genital warts and is the main cause of cervical cancer. The discovery was made during a systematic screening review of materials already in use against other infectious agents. And as it happens, the material is already in some sexual lubricants as an HIV preventive. It is a commercial product called carrageenan, isolated from red seaweed. Aside from some applications for anti-HIV qualities, it is mostly used in processed foods as an emulsifier and thickener. The researchers say it could be an additional bulwark against cervical cancer beyond the recently-approved HPV vaccine. The innoculation works against most of the primary variants of the virus, but not all. Further work is needed to learn whether the substance is effective against HPV in people; its impact so far is evident only in vitro. The study is in the journal Pathogens, from the Public Library of Science’s roster of open-access online journals.
Stories: Chicago Tribune Peter Gorner; New Scientist Roxanne Khamsi;
Grist for the Mill: Pathogen Article; Public Library of Science Press Release via EurekAlert;
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