How Microbicides Work

How would a microbicide work?

The microbicide candidates currently in development would reduce transmission of HIV-and potentially other STIs-in one or more of the following ways:

• Membrane disruption: killing or immobilizing pathogens.
• Vaginal defense enhancement: boosting the vagina's natural defenses.
• Entry/fusion inhibition: blocking infection by creating a barrier between the pathogen and target cells.
• Replication inhibition: preventing HIV from replicating once inside cells.

To boost the efficacy of the next generation of candidates, research is focusing increasingly on combination microbicides employing multiple active ingredients or mechanisms of action.

More information about microbicides is available from the Alliance's Fact Sheets.