AIDS gel shows promise

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An experimental gel protected female monkeys from the AIDS virus in a test designed to mimic human sexual transmission, researchers said.

The gel uses an AIDS drug along with a zinc compound and protected all animals tested from infection with the monkey version of HIV, the researchers report in the Public Library of Science open-source journal PLoS ONE.

It "afforded full protection for up to 24 hours after two weeks of daily application", they wrote.