Well, this is pretty nifty: a researcher at Harvard has come up with a topical microbicide that prevents transmission of the herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) in mice. I'm a little surprised this hasn't made bigger headlines, even though it's a long way from anything useful to humans.
I'm no biologist, but if I correctly understand the science, Dr. Judy Lieberman has come up with small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules which target both HSV-2's ability to replicate AND the cell surface receptor protein that makes the mice susceptible to infection. The one-two whammy prevents transmission for a week, which would certainly make it more useful for humans who prefer things a little more spontaneous. ("Honey, let me slather you with microbicidal siRNA goo" not being high on most people's list of sweet nothings to whisper during foreplay.) It also apparently works if applied a few hours after exposure: a morning-after herpes prophylactic.
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