Clues to a Potential Gene Therapy Cure for Herpes Detected in Early Research

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery that could lead to the first-ever cure for genital and oral herpes. An experimental gene therapy has shown promising results in lab mice, removing 90% or more of oral herpes infection and suppressing the amount of virus shed by infected animals.

The gene therapy involves an injection of gene-editing molecules that target the herpes virus hiding in the body. These molecules act like “molecular scissors,” cutting the virus’s DNA in two different places, making it unable to repair itself. The body’s own repair systems then recognize the damaged DNA as foreign and eliminate it.

According to lead researcher Dr. Keith Jerome, herpes is a sneaky virus that hides among nerve cells and causes painful skin blisters when reactivated. The therapy, developed by researchers at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle, has shown to be effective in reducing both facial and genital herpes infections in lab mice.

With an estimated 3.7 billion people under 50 affected by oral herpes and 491 million people aged 15 to 49 affected by genital herpes, this new therapy could have a significant impact on global health. The researchers are now preparing to translate their findings into treatments for humans and are working towards clinical trials to test the therapy’s safety and effectiveness.

This streamlined gene-editing approach not only eliminates the herpes virus but also has fewer side effects on the liver and nerves, making it safer and easier to produce. The team is also adapting the technology to target herpes simplex 2 viruses, further expanding the potential impact of this groundbreaking research.