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

Abstract

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.

Contact killing and antimicrobial properties of copper

“…Tested in simulated breathing conditions (28Á3 l min À1 ), no infectious viral particle was recovered from the copper oxide containing masks after 30 min, unlike with the control masks. In the same way, Borkow et al (2008) demonstrated the effectiveness of copper during HIV-1 passage through filters containing copper oxide powder or copper oxide-impregnated fibres (Borkow et al 2008). HIV-1 is inactivated when exposed to copper oxide in a dose-dependent manner, without neither cytotoxicity nor strain specificity.…”

“…() demonstrated the effectiveness of copper during HIV‐1 passage through filters containing copper oxide powder or copper oxide‐impregnated fibres (Borkow et al . ). HIV‐1 is inactivated when exposed to copper oxide in a dose‐dependent manner, without neither cytotoxicity nor strain specificity.…”

The oral mucosa immune environment and oral transmission of HIV/SIV

“…Many sterilization and filtration processes have been devised that can effectively remove or reduce HIV viral infectivity (268–273). Unfortunately, most of these technologies require tools not commonly available in households in developing countries or are prohibitively expensive.…”

Aplicación de la capacidad bactericida del cobre en la práctica médica

“…La elaboración de filtros con óxido de cobre ha permitido eliminar en forma eficiente el riesgo de transmisión de VIH a través de fluidos 14 . Los mecanismos involucrados en la actividad antiviral son la inactivación de una enzima proteasa importante para la replicación viral y daño a nivel de la envoltura fosfolipídica [14][15][16] .…”