Herpes News and Research

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Herpes is an infection caused by two different but closely related viruses — herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or cold sores and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) or genital herpes. Both are easy to catch. They have similar symptoms (blisters or sores) and both can occur on different parts of the body. When the infection is on the mouth, it is called oral herpes. When it is on or near the sex organs, it is called genital herpes. There is no cure for herpes. Treatments are available to speed up the healing of the genital sores.

COVID-19 pandemic has worsened global maternal and perinatal outcomes

Immediate action is required to preserve safe maternity care worldwide, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens global maternal and perinatal outcomes, especially in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), a study warns.

15 Apr 2021

Intestinal worm infections can make African women more vulnerable to sexually-transmitted viral infections

Intestinal worm infections can leave women in sub-Saharan Africa more vulnerable to sexually-transmitted viral infections, a new study reveals.

15 Apr 2021

ACE2 homology in laboratory and wild animals

A new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv server describes the conservation of an important receptor gene for the virus among several animal species that live in close contact or proximity to humans.

13 Apr 2021

Could Zebrafish larvae be a novel animal model for SARS-CoV-2?

Researchers based in Paris, France, have explored the potential use of zebrafish larvae as animal models for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These larvae are small and cheap, so could prove a suitable medium for rapid mass testing of the disease.

13 Apr 2021

Brain organoid models reveal mechanisms linked to virus-induced microcephaly

Researchers at IMBA - Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences - demonstrate that different viruses can lead to brain malformations through diverse mechanisms by using human brain organoid models.

9 Apr 2021

HSV-1 infection induces strain-specific transcriptional differences in infected neurons

Why do some people with cold sores around their lips experience painful lesions, while others have no symptoms at all, yet still spread the virus? A new study conducted at Penn State finds that these differences could be due to variations in the way certain strains of herpes simplex (HSV-1) -- the virus that causes cold sores, as well as genital herpes -- activate gene expression in neurons.

29 Mar 2021

HPSE protein found to be a key regulator of cells’ innate defense mechanisms

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have discovered that heparanase, HPSE, a poorly understood protein, is a key regulator of cells' innate defense mechanisms.

15 Mar 2021

The role of nanotechnology in the fight against COVID-19

Appearing in the journal Nanomedicine, the review summarized all the exciting advances made using diverse nanomaterials (polymeric, inorganic self-assembling materials and peptide-based) towards COVID-19 prevention, diagnosis and therapy.

15 Mar 2021

Coronavirus deranges the immune system in complex and deadly ways

There's a reason soldiers go through basic training before heading into combat: Without careful instruction, green recruits armed with powerful weapons could be as dangerous to one another as to the enemy.

4 Mar 2021

Probiotics may be beneficial in COVID-19 treatment

A new study explores the role of common probiotics in managing the disease, which could prove to be of great value, given the emergence of new variants and the broad spectrum of clinical disease in COVID-19.

17 Feb 2021

Study sheds light on the recurrence of herpes simplex virus

Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have shed light on what causes herpes simplex virus to flare up, explaining how stress, illness and even sunburn can trigger unwanted outbreaks.

12 Feb 2021

COVID-19 pandemic and nanotechnology

Writing in the International Journal of Nanomedicine, Professor Dongki Yang, from the Department of Physiology, Gachon University, South Korea, has reviewed the available knowledge on the coronaviruses, current approaches to tackle the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the innovative application of nanotechnology in the COVID-19 pandemic.

8 Feb 2021

Oxysterol derivatives show powerful antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

A new study describes the antiviral activity of oxysterols, or oxidized cholesterol derivatives, against SARS-CoV-2. These occur in nature, and are not only involved in lipid signaling pathways that modulate a host of processes within the body, including the immune response and lipid homeostasis.

3 Feb 2021

Researchers report trial results of rectal microbicides at HIV R4P Virtual Conference

Researchers seeking to develop on-demand and behaviorally congruent HIV prevention options for people who practice anal sex are reporting the results of three early phase clinical trials of rectal microbicides at this week's HIV Research for Prevention (HIV R4P) Virtual Conference.

3 Feb 2021

CoCID project aims to develop soft X-ray microscope for visualizing cellular origin of diseases

CoCID (Compact Cell Imaging Device), a €5.7 million, four-year, pan-European research and innovation project, funded through Horizon 2020, has officially commenced.

2 Feb 2021

COVID-19 has transformed the world of vaccines

Researchers at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Italy and Belgium say the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is transforming the world of vaccinology by accelerating vaccine development and the availability of powerful technologies.

20 Jan 2021

Myelin‐specific T cells implicated in central nervous system disease in monkeys

Scientists have uncovered new clues implicating a type of herpes virus as the cause of a central nervous system disease in monkeys that's similar to multiple sclerosis in people.

15 Jan 2021

Researchers develop new technique to more efficiently isolate and identify rare T cells

Scientists from the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have developed a technique that will enable researchers to more efficiently isolate and identify rare T cells that are capable of targeting viruses, cancer and other diseases.

12 Jan 2021

Glycyrrhizin in licorice root neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 in vitro by inhibiting the main protease Mpro

In a recent bioRxiv* preprint paper, researchers from Germany analyzed aqueous licorice root extract for its neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. They identified glycyrrhizin, the primary active ingredient in the root, and revealed the underlying mechanism of viral neutralization.

5 Jan 2021

Research explores the cost-effectiveness of Sweden's national vaccination programs

Immunizing children against chickenpox would save money, but offering shingles vaccinations to all 65-year-olds would not. These are examples of findings in a University of Gothenburg thesis exploring the cost-effectiveness of Sweden's national vaccination programs.

23 Dec 2020