CLINICAL EVALUATION OF COMPARATIVE AND COMBINED EFFECT OF POLYHERBAL MICROBICIDE (BASANT) AND SELECTED PROBIOTICS IN THE TREATMENT OF RECCURRENT VAGINOSIS - A PHASE II PLACEBO CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background: Vaginosis is a widely prevalent syndrome in women. Treatment with one or more antibiotics cures invariably the infections. However recurrence is frequent and pH of the vagina is not always restored to the normal acidic range. This trial was conducted to determine whether a Polyherbal Microbicide BASANT or three selected strains of Probiotics Lactobacilli alone or the two in combination can regress Vaginosis, bring down the vaginal pH to acidic range and restore healthy vagina with colonised Lactobacilli.Methods: Women suffering from recurrent episodes of vaginosis were given capsules of either BASANT, Probiotics, Combination of the two or Placebo capsules for insertion in vagina for 7 nights. On day 10, Pelvic examination, pH, Whiff test, Gram stain for Clue cells and swab taken for culture of lactobacilli.Results: BASANT regressed Vaginosis in 14/ 20, Probiotics in 13/20, Combination of the two in 19/ 20 women and Placebo in 1/ 20 women.Conclusion: While both Polyherbal microbicide BASANT and the three strains of the lactobacilli cured Vaginosis in 65 to 70% of women, the combination was highly effective in curing 95% of women

Making of a unique birth control vaccine against hCG with additional potential of therapy of advanced stage cancers and prevention of obesity and insulin resistance

Reviewed is the work which led to the development of a unique vaccine that prevents pregnancy in sexually active women without impairment of ovulation and block of their making normally their sex steroid hormones. Being given that hCG is not expressed by non-pregnant females, immunization with the vaccine is devoid of any crossreaction with any tissue of the body. It is totally reversible and women regained fertility on decline of antibodies. A recombinant vaccine has been developed which is highly immunogenic in mice. It is undergoing extensive toxicology under GLP conditions in rodents and a primate species, the marmosets, before resumption of clinical trials. Ectopic expression of hCG or its subunits takes place in a variety of cancers, particularly at advanced stage with adverse survival and poor prognosis. Anti-hCG antibodies exercise therapeutic action against such cancers as indicated by in vitro culture and in vivo studies in nude mice. Transgenic hCG β mice put on weight and manifest insulin resistance. Immunization of these mice with the recombinant hCG β-LTB vaccine prevents obesity and insulin resistance.Fil: Talwar, G. P.. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Rulli, Susana Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (i); ArgentinaFil: Vyas, Hemant. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Purswani, Shilpi. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Kabeer, Rafi Shiraz. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Chopra, Prem. Sir Ganga Ram Hospital; IndiaFil: Singh, Priyanka . Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Atrey, Nishu. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Nand, Kripa. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Gupta, Jagdish C.. Talwar Research Foundation; Indi

Advances in development of a contraceptive vaccine against human chorionic gonadotropin

Introduction: There is continuing need for contraceptives. According to World Health Organization, 210 million pregnancies occur each year, out of which some 80 million are unintended. A vaccine offering privacy and periodic intake would be an attractive proposition.Areas covered: The article is a brief review of three vaccines developed against human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) with progressively better attributes. Clinical trials have proven in more than one country the complete safety and reversibility of the anti-hCG vaccine(s) in women. Vaccination does not entail any disturbance in levels of reproductive tract hormones of the woman or any disturbance in menstrual regularity and bleeding profiles. Phase II clinical trials show the effective prevention of pregnancy in sexually active women of proven fertility. A recombinant vaccine amenable to industrial production has been developed; it induces substantially higher antibody titers in mice of four different genetic strains than those required to prevent pregnancy in women. Rigorous toxicology studies have been completed on this vaccine in rodents and marmosets.Expert opinion: This unique vaccine, requiring periodic intake and demonstrating no impairment of ovulation, hormonal profiles and menstrual regularity, is on the verge of final clinical trials under the aegis of the Indian Council of Medical Research and should be a valuable addition to the available contraceptives.Fil: Talwar, Gursaran P.. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Gupta, Jagdish C.. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Rulli, Susana Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Sharma, Radhey S.. Indian Council Of Medical Research; IndiaFil: Nand, Kripa N.. Jamia Hamdard University; India. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Bandivdekar, Atmaram H.. National Institute For Research In Reproductive Health; IndiaFil: Atrey, Nishu. Talwar Research Foundation; IndiaFil: Singh, Priyanka. Talwar Research Foundation; Indi