Combined Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Microbicides

1. To investigate the potential of protease and proteasome inhibitors as microbicides.

2. To develop new small molecule inhibitors of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and integrase.

3. To develop new small molecule inhibitors of HIV-1 fusion and further the development of novel protein and peptide based inhibitors as microbicides.

4. To test efficacy and safety of novel microbicide combinations using in vitro systems.

5. To develop procedures for coformulation of microbicide combinations suitable for testing in vivo.

6. To test efficacy of selected microbicide combinations in macaque models of vaginal and rectal challenge.

7. To perform human studies including phase I trial of microbicide combinations.

8. To investigate mucosal biomarkers associated with mucosal health by analysis of microbiota, immune factors and the proteome of vaginal fluid.