Research is being conducted to develop a vaccine for herpes, prevent reinfections, and find a cure. Two types of herpes viruses are studied, with 20% of the US population infected. Funding is a challenge, and researchers are exploring subunit vaccines, vaginal suppositories, and activating dormant viruses to kill them.
Herpes simplex viruses types I and II are extremely persistent viruses that lie dormant in the body’s nervous system long after the initial infection has ended. While a cure for herpes isn’t in the immediate future, scientists are exploring many types of herpes research. In recent years, herpes research has focused on developing a vaccine for those who have not yet been infected, halting reinfections that occur when the virus lies dormant in a host, and developing a cure that will eliminate the virus in already infected individuals. To do this, researchers are trying to identify the substances the virus needs to survive and identify the mechanisms that make herpes viruses so persistent. Once scientists learn enough about how the herpes virus works in a host’s body, a cure for herpes may be possible.
There are two main types of herpes viruses being studied. Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-I) is a type of herpes virus that causes oral sores, while herpes simplex virus type II (HSV-II) is a type of herpes virus causing sores and genital lesions. In the United States alone, 20% of the population is infected with one or both types of herpes virus. While there is no shortage of researchers trying to find a vaccine or cure, there is a lack of funds needed to complete the research. Because the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds only about 8 percent of the applications it receives, researchers are mostly dependent on private funding.
One type of herpes research is focusing on preventing infection by the virus and controlling the spread of the herpes virus. Traditional vaccines consist of weakened or dead viruses that stimulate the human immune response. These types of vaccines are not effective against persistent viruses such as herpes. Researchers are developing subunit vaccines, which are made from a piece of viral protein. Subunit vaccines are safer than traditional vaccines because they cannot reproduce and cause the disease they are designed to prevent. Other vaccines can disrupt the instructions in the viral DNA that produce a substance that weakens the host cell’s defenses.
Another type of herpes research is attempting to control the spread of the virus through the development of vaginal suppositories. These topical microbicides contain substances that could kill the virus and prevent infection if used before having sex with an infected person. Currently the only way to control the spread of herpes is through suppressive drugs such as acyclovir, famciclovir and valacyclovir.
Researchers believe that the only way to kill the herpes virus in an already infected individual is to activate it, wait for it to emerge from hiding in the nerve cells of the dorsal ganglia, and then kill it. Some herpes research is studying which genes are responsible for viral activity. The theory goes that once the virus is activated, it can be treated with drugs such as acyclovir. The problem lies in how to activate all the dormant viruses at once. When the herpes virus lies dormant in the body, parts of it become active at different times, making it impossible to treat the entire virus at once.
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