Hypericin: an answer for safer blood? Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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Hypericin: an answer for safer blood? Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6003, Rockville, MD 20849-6003. 800-458-5231 ext. 5023.

Common Factor. 1995 Apr;(no 10):36. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE AIDS/95700381
Kuhn D

Abstract: Hypericin has potent activity against HIV and other viruses, is compatible with anticoagulants used to store blood, and does not affect blood chemistry when stored for 21 days. It is now being investigated as a possible treatment for persons already infected with HIV, and it has shown that it can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood: one study achieved inactivation of more than one million HIV particles per milliliter of blood. The challenge is to find a suitable method of sterilizing packed red cells. Several studies involving hypericin are expected to be completed in the fall of 1995. Clinical trials evaluating the safety of blood sterilized by hypericin are anticipated to begin in the fourth quarter. While hypericin has been shown to be effective in inactivating other enveloped viruses, such as hepatitis B and C, and cytomegalovirus, it has not been effective against non-enveloped viruses, such as hepatitis A, or parvovirus B-19.
Keywords: Antiviral Agents/ADVERSE EFFECTS/*PHARMACOLOGY/THERAPEUTIC USE Blood Preservation Blood-Borne Pathogens Clinical Trials Cytomegalovirus/DRUG EFFECTS Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Human HIV/*DRUG EFFECTS HIV Infections/DRUG THERAPY Perylene/ANALOGS & DERIVATIVES/ADVERSE EFFECTS/*PHARMACOLOGY/ THERAPEUTIC USE Sterilization NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

KWDantiviralagents/adverseeffects/KWDpharmacology/therapeuticusebloodpreservationblood-bornepathogensclinicaltrialscytomegalovirus/drugeffectshepatitisbhepatitischumanhiv/KWDdrugeffectshivinfections/drugtherapyperylene/analogs&derivatives/adverseeffects/KWDpharmacology/therapeuticusesterilizationnewsletterarticle
951130
M95B0885

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