New gene therapy approach eliminates at least 90% latent herpes simplex virus 1

submitted by [deleted] from sciencedaily.com

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[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Caveats here, of course, and it's a big one: This is an in-vitro study, not in-vivo. That is, in a "test tube" (cell cultures), not in a living subject. What this outlines is a possible method that perhaps an engineered retrovirus in future might use to target HSV-1 (oral herpes, responsible for "cold sores"), or other methods unspecified and likely unknown to me.

This would be huge if such a thing could be employed, however, due to all manner of medical and health correlations or complications. Immunocompromised individuals can greatly suffer from otherwise benign HSV-1, rare brain or eye infections, and increased dementia risk. There are also other correlations (note, just correlations) of potential increased risks for other illness or complications from HSV-1. These, if HSV-1 could be eliminated or greatly reduced, would be a huge improvement to a wide array of potential complications.

Of course, it may also in future prove to be effective against HSV-2 and HSV-3. One can only hope.

[–]chadwickofwv 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I'll take the cold sore over gene therapy every single time.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

It isn't quite like modifying your own genes. It's a modified virus that attacks specific cells, so in a sense the "gene therapy" was in modifying the virus and to then insert two breaks in HSV-1's DNA that causes it to fall apart.

Think of it like injecting you with an "infection" that only attacks another infection you don't want. A lot of progress is already being made in this regard with respect to various cancer cells. Of course safety will be paramount in approval. I've no doubt one of the requirements will necessarily be that the deactivated virus have both a very short lifespan, and readily killed with additional injections. Perhaps some kind of trigger could be developed that, when encountering an otherwise harmless tracer chemical or some other safe thing, causes the virus to reliably self-destruct.