Can a combination of immune therapy reduce epidemics of genital herpes?

Yale researchers have shown that the combination of a vaccine and a drug cream was a promising strategy to significantly reduce the recurrence of bad herpes. Their study, co-led by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the Children's Hospital Medical Center of the University of Cincinnati, was published in the journal npj Vaccines.

The herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2, responsible for bad herpes, is widespread and affects more than 400 million people worldwide. There is no cure and efforts to develop a vaccine have had limited success.

The research team tested a new vaccination strategy, called primo-injection, in guinea pigs infected with bad herpes. The "premium" involves a vaccine that generates a response to the virus from T cells, highly specialized immune cells. The "sweater" consists of a cream containing imiquimod, a drug commonly used to treat bad warts. Applied to the affected area, the cream attracts key immune cells to the site of infection where they can prevent the virus from spreading and causing herpes lesions.

The study showed that the effect of the combined therapy was far superior to that of the vaccine or cream alone. "This is the first time a study shows that the" premium-and-pull "strategy can block existing recurrent diseases," said Akiko Iwasaki, co-corresponding author, professor of immunobiology Waldemar Von Zedtwitz at Yale School of Medicine.

"Developing a therapeutic vaccine for HSV is a top priority, and our exciting results have encouraged us and hopefully other countries to continue this strategy with more vaccines," he said. co-authored author, David Bernstein, professor of pediatrics and former director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

The study team administered three cycles of animal treatment, noting that the strategy was working quickly and from the first cycle.

This strategy, if it became a therapy for humans, could change the game for people with recurrent infections or resistance to standard antiviral treatment, said Iwasaki. Active infection with herpes causes painful lesions physically and emotionally damaging to those affected, she noted.