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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, February 2008, p. 518-525, Vol. 52, No. 2
0066-4804/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.00899-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Deactivation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 in Medium by Copper Oxide-Containing Filters

Gadi Borkow,^1,2* Humberto H. Lara,^1, Chandice Y. Covington,^3,4, Adeline Nyamathi,⁴ and Jeffrey Gabbay²

Ruth Ben-Ari Institute of Clinical Immunology, Kaplan Medical Center, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Rehovot 76100, Israel,¹ Cupron Inc., 3704 Chiswell Ct., Greensboro, North Carolina 27410,² College of Nursing, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9025,³ School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095⁴

Received 10 July 2007/ Returned for modification 17 September 2007/ Accepted 28 November 2007

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can be transmitted through breast-feeding and through contaminated blood donations. Copper has potent biocidal properties and has been found to inactivate HIV-1 infectivity. The objective of this study was to determine the capacity of copper-based filters to inactivate HIV-1 in culture media. Medium spiked with high titers of HIV-1 was exposed to copper oxide powder or copper oxide-impregnated fibers or passed through copper-based filters, and the infectious viral titers before and after treatment were determined. Cell-free and cell-associated HIV-1 infectivity was inhibited when exposed to copper oxide in a dose-dependent manner, without cytotoxicity at the active antiviral copper concentrations. Similar dose-dependent inhibition occurred when HIV-1 was exposed to copper-impregnated fibers. Filtration of HIV-1 through filters containing the copper powder or copper-impregnated fibers resulted in viral deactivation of all 12 wild-type or drug-resistant laboratory or clinical, macrophage-tropic and T-cell-tropic, clade A, B, or C, HIV-1 isolates tested. Viral inactivation was not strain specific. Thus, a novel means to inactivate HIV-1 in medium has been developed. This inexpensive methodology may significantly reduce HIV-1 transmission from "mother to child" and/or through blood donations if proven to be effective in breast milk or plasma and safe for use. The successful application of this technology may impact HIV-1 transmission, especially in developing countries where HIV-1 is rampant.

Published ahead of print on 10 December 2007.

Present address: Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Present address: College of Nursing, University of North Dakota, 430 Oxford Street, Stop 9025, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9025.