AMCOL International Corporation announced last month that test results of recently discovered anti-viral properties of nano bentonites will be jointly presented with Retroscreen Virology Ltd., a London-based research and testing facility. In this study, laboratory tests have demonstrated that HIV, Human Flu and Avian Flu viruses can be inactivated using specially modified bentonites. Additional tests will be conducted with other viruses.
Jerry Darlington, AMCOL technical director and Charlotte Chan, Research Scientist, will be presenting the results at a poster session being held today and tomorrow at the Second European Influenza Conference in Malta. Scientists, health care professionals and government representatives attend the Conference with the goal of combating the influenza epidemic. Dr. John Oxford, Retroscreen scientific director and Professor of Virology at Queen Mary ‘s School of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of London, is a co-organizer of this conference.
The poster entitled, “Evaluation of the antiviral activity of different modifications of nano-bentonite clay against the Human Influenza (H3N2) Virus, Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus” outlines reduction in viral activity of selected viruses from AMCOL modified bentonites. Certain products are available in commercial quantities pending regulatory reviews, and patents have been applied for. No animal or human testing has been conducted. The poster can be viewed at the “continued” link below.
Larry Washow, AMCOL president and chief executive officer, said, “The data from this testing provided clinical validation that nano-bentonites have the ability to inactivate a number of viruses. This is a very important development in our continuing work with nano-bentonites, a completely new direction in the evolving field of nano-material use in health-related applications. It will take quite some time to see these products reach the marketplace as further work will be required on these initial lab tests.”