HIV Drug Could Prevent Cervical Cancer

Lopinavir, a widely used HIV drug, could be used to prevent cervical cancer, scientists have found.

A study by researchers at the University of Manchester in the UK have discovered that lopinavir, an antiviral drug produced by Abbott Laboratories, attacks cells infected by human papilloma virus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer.

The study builds on the team's previous work in 2006, which identified lopinavir as a potential therapeutic for HPV-related cervical cancer following laboratory tests on cell cultures.

Dr. Ian Hampson, from the University of Manchester's School of Cancer and Enabling Sciences, said, "Since publishing our earlier work, we have now found that lopinavir selectively kills HPV-infected, non-cancerous cells, while leaving healthy cells relatively unaffected. "This is a very significant finding as th