A common garden plant may hold the key to new treatments against HIV, researchers revealed yesterday.
Scientists have found extracts in the garden geranium plant that can deactivate the type 1 version of the virus and also prevent it invading human cells, they report.
The chemicals have been found in a species of geranium often used in the medicine, the African geranium or Pelargonium sidoides.
A German research team has reported its findings, from laboratory studies, in the journal PLoS One.
Researcher Professor Ruth Brack-Werner, of Helmholtz Zentrum München, said the findings could lead to a new class of cheap drugs for HIV.
She called for testing on patients as the next step and said medicines derived from the plant could be supplement other HIV treatments.
She said: "Pelargonium sidoides extracts attack HIV-1 with a mode of action that is different from all anti-HIV-1 drugs in clinical use.
"Furthermore, Pelargonium sidoides extracts are attractive candidates for increasing anti HIV-1 therapy options in resource-limited settings, since they are easy to produce and do not require refrigeration.
"The results of our study and the proven safety of Pelargonium sidoides extracts encourages their testing in HIV-1 infected individuals as next step.”
Helfer, M. et al. The root extract of the medicinal plant Pelargonium sidoides is a potent HIV-1 attachment inhibitor. PLoS One 29 January 2014; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087487 [abstract]
Leave a Reply