New Herpes Vaccine May Be Ready For Human Trials

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), or genital herpes, is a virus that infects approximately 22% of adult Americans. Bearing physical, psychological, and social effects on those who acquire it, it can pose an even more severe risk for immuno-compromised patients further emphasizing the need for an effective vaccine.

“In the aggregate, the burden of genital herpes has made development of more effective prevention strategies a health priority,” say the researchers.

The study compared three different vaccines, a DNA vaccine, an antigenic vaccine and a live mutant strain of the type 2 virus, d15-29, in mice and guinea pigs. The live mutant strain, d15-29, showed minimal risk of causing disease as it is missing two of the genes necessary for replication and it stimulated a stronger immune response in both animals.

“Given its efficacy, its defectiveness for latency, and its ability to induce rapid, virus-specific CD8+-T-cell responses, the dl5-29 vaccine may be a good candidate for early-phase human trials,” say the researchers.

(Y. Hoshino, S.K. Dalai, K. Wang, L. Pesnicak, T.Y. Lau, D.M. Knipe, J.I. Cohen, S.E. Straus. 2004. Comparative efficacy and immunogenicity of replication-defective, recombinant glycoprotein, and DNA vaccines for herpes simplex virus 2 infections in mice and guinea pigs. Journal of Virology, 79. 1: 410-418.)