@article{10.1371/journal.pone.0049792, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0049792}, author = {Ball, Cameron AND Krogstad, Emily AND Chaowanachan, Thanyanan AND Woodrow, Kim A.}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, title = {Drug-Eluting Fibers for HIV-1 Inhibition and Contraception}, year = {2012}, month = {11}, volume = {7}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049792}, pages = {1-14}, abstract = {Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) that simultaneously prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy are a global health priority. Combining chemical and physical barriers offers the greatest potential to design effective MPTs, but integrating both functional modalities into a single device has been challenging. Here we show that drug-eluting fiber meshes designed for topical drug delivery can function as a combination chemical and physical barrier MPT. Using FDA-approved polymers, we fabricated nanofiber meshes with tunable fiber size and controlled degradation kinetics that facilitate simultaneous release of multiple agents against HIV-1, HSV-2, and sperm. We observed that drug-loaded meshes inhibited HIV-1 infection in vitro and physically obstructed sperm penetration. Furthermore, we report on a previously unknown activity of glycerol monolaurate (GML) to potently inhibit sperm motility and viability. The application of drug-eluting nanofibers for HIV-1 prevention and sperm inhibition may serve as an innovative platform technology for drug delivery to the lower female reproductive tract.}, number = {11}, }