U-M Med School researches bananas as an HIV inhibitor

A study to be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry concludes that banana lectin, a naturally occurring chemical, has the ability to stop the transmission and prevention of HIV in women.

The study showed a lectin called BanLec was as potent as two HIV drugs, T-20 and maraviroc, that are currently being used to treat HIV. Lectins are sugar-binding proteins found in plants that can identify and attach to foreign invaders, and subsequently blocks HIV's entry into the body.

Michael E. Swanson, study author and doctoral student in the graduate program in immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School said “The problem with some HIV drugs is that the virus can mutate and become resistant, but that's much harder to do in the presence of lectins.”

David Marvovitz, M.D., professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School led the study.

Facts and figures

• In the United States, over 57,000 women have HIV with the majority of women contracting HIV from having sex with men and not using a condom. It is also spread through injection drug use or from mother to baby during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
• One in four Americans living with HIV are women.
• HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American women aged 25 to 34.
• HIV is a virus that attacks your immune system.
• An HIV test is the only way to know for sure if you have HIV.
• There are three main types of HIV testing- Blood, urine, or oral swab.

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