Latest news with #HSV-1
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Common virus that affects 124million Americans may contribute to debilitating multiple sclerosis
About one in two adults is infected with a virus that can cause cold sores, fever and blisters in the mouth. But now, researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) suggest that oral herpes, caused by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), could also raise the risk of suffering from the life-altering condition multiple sclerosis. In a new study, scientists gene-edited mice not to produce a protein called optineurin, which plays a role in defending the body against herpes infections, and then infected the mice with the virus. The infection led to the rapid degradation of the myelin sheath, a protective coating on nerve fibers. This caused mice to suffer MS-like symptoms, such as muscle weakness, loss of movement and the ability to coordinate muscles. This mirrors the process observed in individuals with multiple sclerosis, where the myelin sheath also degrades because the immune system misfires and starts to attack the area. The scientists say their findings could indicate a link between HSV-1, which is different from the HSV-2 virus that causes genital herpes, and MS. Dr Deepak Shukla, a professor of molecular virology at UIC and the study's lead, said: 'Our findings enhance our understanding of how viruses develop and offer potential avenues for mitigating viral-induced [nerve cell] damage. 'If you are infected, then your immune system is constantly locked in battle with the virus. And if for any reason you become immunocompromised, the virus can escape and damage your brain.' Oral herpes is an extremely common condition that infects about 47 percent of adults, according to the CDC, or 124million people. The virus is spread via sexual contact, such as kissing and oral sex, and is incurable, normally lying dormant and triggering occasional flare-ups of sores on and around the mouth and lips. In cells, it is controlled by the protein optineurin, which stops an infection from spreading and protects against any potential myelin sheath damage. Scientists have previously established that one of the biggest risk factors for MS is an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a virus that has infected 95 percent of adults and which is estimated to raise the risk of MS by 30 percent. And other herpes viruses, like the ones that cause chickenpox, shingles, and human herpes virus 6, have also been linked to the onset and worsening of MS, which affects 1 million Americans. And MS is a debilitating, incurable autoimmune condition that affects the brain and spinal cord and leaves people with mobility issues, memory loss and fatigue. In earlier studies, Dr Shukla's team found that HSV-1 triggered a strong immune response in the brains of mice, causing memory problems, poor coordination, and anxiety. They also discovered that the protein optineurin helps fight the virus by slowing its growth and spread. In the latest study, researchers infected mice that could not produce the protein with the oral herpes virus in their eyes. As seen in earlier cell tests, mice without optineurin had higher infection rates after four days. The researchers also found that a protein called MLKL, or Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like protein, which is made by the body during cell death, boosted HSV-1 infections in the absence of optineurin. Researchers said the protein facilitated the transportation of the virus into a cell's nucleus, speeding an infection, and optineurin controlled HSV-1 infection by triggering the deterioration of MLKL. Imaging studies revealed extensive clumping, or aggregation, of MLKL in the brains of optineurin-lacking mice, but not in control mice, in response to HSV-1 infection. Also, these clumps appeared to trigger the death of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes, or cells that create armor, or the myelin sheath, around neurons. Without the sheath, the nervous system was left vulnerable to damage. The resulting damage disrupts the communication between the brain and the rest of the body, leading to the various symptoms associated with MS, such as weakness in the legs, fatigue, coordination problems, cognitive changes, and pain. Identifying this protein offers a new target for multiple sclerosis therapies. Already, Shukla's lab has demonstrated that necrosulfonamide, which inhibits optineurin, can preserve nerve function in animal models. Studies like these provide hope for the future of MS, and bring about the potential to enable earlier intervention or a possible cure.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
THIS simple antiviral can lower the risk of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease continues to puzzle scientists and burden families. With around 7 million Americans currently affected, this number is projected to nearly double by 2050, reaching 13 million. In 2020 alone, the disease cost the US more than $300 billion in care and related expenses. Despite decades of research, the root cause of Alzheimer's remains unclear. What is known, though, is that abnormal protein deposits in the brain, especially amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles, play a significant role in its development. But why these plaques form in the first place is a question science is still chasing. Research suggests that a common virus, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), might be involved in triggering these damaging brain changes. It's the same virus responsible for cold sores. At first, this sounds surprising. But as studies begin to piece together more evidence, the idea is gaining ground. The cold sore virus and the brain HSV-1 is extremely common. According to the World Health Organisation , nearly 64% of people under the age of 50 carry the virus. Often, it stays hidden in the body, showing up now and then as cold sores. But here's where things get interesting: HSV-1 is a neurotropic virus; it can invade and remain dormant in nerve cells, including those in the brain. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Swelling and internal bleeding in the brain, help this baby Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Back in the 1990s, Professor Ruth Itzhaki was one of the first to spot HSV-1 DNA inside Alzheimer's brain plaques. Her research also found that people with a genetic risk factor were more vulnerable to the virus's effects in the brain. Fast forward 30 years, and new studies are similar to her findings. Recent lab experiments show HSV-1 can trigger the buildup of amyloid-beta, one of the hallmark features of Alzheimer's. The idea is that repeated reactivation of the virus may damage neurons and kickstart brain inflammation, slowly increasing the risk of dementia-like decline over time. Numbers add a new layer to the theory A new study led by Gilead Sciences and the University of Washington brings real-world data into the conversation. Using medical records from over 215 million Americans, the researchers looked at whether those with an HSV-1 diagnosis were more likely to develop Alzheimer's, and whether antiviral medications made a difference. Here's what the numbers showed: People with HSV-1 had an 80% higher risk of developing Alzheimer's compared to those without it. Those who received antiviral treatment had about a 17% lower risk of Alzheimer's compared to untreated individuals. This large-scale study offers something many previous ones lacked: population-wide evidence that supports earlier lab-based theories. But it's not without flaws. The data came from insurance claims, which means many mild or undiagnosed HSV-1 cases likely went unnoticed. Also, the specifics, such as the type, dose, or duration of antivirals, were not available. These gaps leave room for caution when interpreting the results. It's tempting to jump to conclusions, but science moves slowly and carefully. The connection between HSV-1 and Alzheimer's is still correlational, meaning that while patterns are visible, they don't prove cause and effect. There are many possible explanations. For example, HSV-1 may not directly cause Alzheimer's but might trigger immune system changes, especially in genetically susceptible people. Or, people with weaker immune defences might be more prone to both HSV-1 reactivations and neurodegenerative decline. What complicates things further is that Alzheimer's is influenced by many factors: Age is still the biggest risk. Genetics, like the APOE ε4 gene, play a key role. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor diet, and lack of physical activity also contribute. And now, chronic infections like HSV-1 may be another layer of the puzzle. In short, no single cause has been found, but pieces like this help build a clearer picture.
Tom's Guide
5 days ago
- Health
- Tom's Guide
I drank lemon balm tea every day for a week to see if it could reduce stress and aid digestion — here's my verdict
If you've been around me for more than 90 seconds, you'll know that the last word anyone would use to describe me is 'calm.' If you're around me with my toddler and dog in tow, you'd probably recommend I take up yoga, or wonder how one person gets through the day surrounded by such chaos. With this in mind, when I heard about the viral TikTok trend of drinking lemon balm tea to reduce stress and anxiety, I decided to give it a try for a week to see if I noticed any difference. Read on to find out what happened. According to recent studies, lemon balm tea offers several benefits for both mental and physical well-being. Lemon balm is a fragrant herb from the mint family, characterized by its lemon-scented leaves. It has been found to have antiviral properties, as well as being anti-inflammatory. One of the most well-researched benefits of consuming lemon balm is its calming effect on the nervous system. This is said to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and nervousness. As well as helping you feel less stressed, lemon balm is thought to boost your mood and improve cognitive function and memory. Lemon balm is often used as a natural remedy for conditions such as insomnia and sleep disturbances, due to its calming properties. It's often paired with ingredients like camomile to help you fall asleep more easily and improve your overall sleep quality. Lemon balm is sometimes used in natural remedies for colic thanks to its ability to soothe digestive issues. It can also help with bloating, indigestion, gas and stomach cramps. Lemon balm is also used in topical ointments that treat cold sores (HSV-1) thanks to its antiviral properties. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. As a reminder, while lemon balm tea is considered safe to drink for most people, you should always check with your doctor if you're on regular medication, or if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Possible side effects associated with the consumption of lemon balm include headaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If you notice any of these side effects, stop taking lemon balm immediately. Was lemon balm tea the secret to feeling calmer? Here's what happened when I committed to drinking lemon balm tea every day for a week. Before popping the kettle on, I had to find lemon balm to drink. I keep a fresh mint plant in my garden, so I assumed I'd be able to buy a lemon balm plant in my local supermarket, and that I'd be able to stew the leaves in my teapot. Unfortunately, it was a little trickier to find, so I ended up having to buy dried leaves on the internet instead. I also found a 'happy' tea blend which contained lemon balm, turmeric and apple. In my first few days, I committed to sipping lemon balm at my desk. I usually drink peppermint tea, and the lemon balm tasted very similar. Plus, this article gave me more of an excuse to step away from my desk for a tea break. While I wasn't immediately feeling much calmer, I did need to pee more. As well as being full of antioxidants, drinking more tea means more water. It was convenient that I was doing this challenge during a heatwave here in the UK, so sipping on a couple of cups of tea during the day helped me drink more water and avoid dehydration. Plus, another benefit is that lemon balm tea is naturally caffeine-free. I found I was drinking less coffee, which is always a good thing, as too much leaves me feeling even more anxious. By the end of the week, I was fully on board with lemon balm tea and could quite easily make the switch from peppermint. I liked the taste and switched to my 'happy tea' blend when I wanted something a little punchier. I didn't notice any differences in my digestion, but I don't often suffer from bloating or indigestion. While I'm not sure my nervous system felt any calmer, I did find that the ritual of stepping away from my desk and making a tea, or sitting down with one after getting my son to bed, helped me carve out moments of calm during a very busy day. I'm going to continue sipping lemon balm tea, so maybe by the end of the month, I'll be an Instagram-perfect mum, finding calm in the chaos. Until then, I'll keep taking deep breaths when my toddler throws his dinner at the kitchen wall. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Newsweek
09-07-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Herpes Virus Could Help Treat Advanced Cancer
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. While it may give billions of people worldwide painful cold sores, a common virus could be harnessed to provide a much-need new cancer treatment. This is the conclusion of a study by researchers with Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California, who have shown in early clinical trials that a genetically modified version of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) can be used against advanced melanoma. Melanoma is a form of skin cancer that originates in the cells that give our skin its pigment. In its advanced form, however, it spreads to other sites in the body. "These findings are very encouraging because melanoma is the fifth most common cancer for adults—and about half of all advanced melanoma cases cannot be managed with currently available immunotherapy treatments," said paper author and oncologist Dr. Gino Kim In of Keck Medicine in a statement. "The survival rate of untreatable advanced melanoma is only a few years, so this new therapy offers hope to patients who may have run out of options to fight the cancer." Stock image of a doctor inspecting a patient's mole for skin cancer, Stock image of a doctor inspecting a patient's mole for skin cancer, Wavebreakmedia/iStock / Getty Images Plus In their study, In and colleagues recruited 140 patients with advanced melanoma that either did not respond—or was no longer responding—to immunotherapy. Each participant had multiple tumors, some of which were "superficial," in that they were located on or just beneath the skin, while others were located deeper in the body, such as in organs like the liver or lungs. "Unlike other immunotherapy drugs, RP1 is an 'intratumoral' therapy that is injected directly into melanoma tumors," In told Newsweek. Both deep and superficial tumors were treated with a modified version of HSV-1 in combination with the immunotherapy agent, nivolumab (which helps the immune system's T-cells fight tumors), every two weeks for up to 16 weeks in total. If the patients appeared to be responding to the treatment, they then continued receiving nivolumab every four weeks for up to two years. The modified HSV-1 virus used in the study is named "RP1." It is designed to specifically target and destroy cancerous tumors while also stimulating the body's white blood cells to seek and destroy other cancer cells across the entire body. Unlike its natural predecessor, RP1 does not cause herpes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved RP1 for review in patients with advanced melanoma that was not responding to immunotherapy in January this year. By the trial's end, the team found that tumors had shrunk by at least 30 percent in one-third of the patients—while nearly one-in-six saw their tumors disappear completely. "Importantly, RP1 was very well tolerated with approximately 90 percent of patients having only mild side effects, such as fatigue, fever and flu-like symptoms," noted In. An artist's impression of the herpes simplex virus. An artist's impression of the herpes simplex virus. Artur Plawgo/iStock / Getty Images Plus Comparing the outcomes of both tumors that were directly treated and those that were not, the team found that uninjected tumors shrank and/or disappeared just as frequently. "This result suggests that RP1 is effective in targeting cancer throughout the entire body and not just the injected tumor," said In. This, she continued, "expands the potential effectiveness of the drug, because some tumors may be more difficult or impossible to reach." In added that—while it is too early to tell if the positive outcomes stay permanent—she is optimistic about RP1 therapy's potential. She explained: "I believe that oncolytic viruses will open up an important new approach to fighting cancer in some patients in the near future." Stock image of melanoma cells seen through a microscope. Stock image of melanoma cells seen through a microscope. Dlumen/iStock / Getty Images Plus With the first two phases of the clinical trial now complete, the researchers are now moving to confirm their findings in a larger, global population of more than 400 trial patients. Keck Medicine will once again serve as one of the sites for this next trial. Patients interested in participating are encouraged to contact Keck Medicine Oncology Clinical Research Program Manager, Sandy Tran, by email. The clinical trials are being sponsored by the biotechnology company Replimune, which manufactures RP1 as well as other viral-based cancer therapies. As the mechanism of RP1's action is not specific to melanoma, the researchers say that the treatment may also have potential in treating other cancer types. Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about melanoma treatment? Let us know via health@ Reference Gino In, Michael Wong, Joseph Sacco, Eva Muñoz Couselo, Dirk Schadendorf, Georgia Beasley, Jiaxin Niu, Bartosz Chmielowski, Trisha Wise-Draper, Mohammed Milhem, Tawnya Bowles, Katy Tsai, Celeste Lebbe, Caroline Gaudy-Marqueste, Adel Samson, Junhong Zhu, Marcus Viana, Jeannie Hou, & Caroline Robert. (2025). Response analysis for injected and non-injected lesions and of the safety and efficacy of superficial and deep/visceral RP1 injection in the registrational cohort of anti–PD-1–failed melanoma patients of the IGNYTE trial. 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.
New York Post
08-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Doctors have figured out a way to use herpes to fight untreatable advanced cancer
Herpes has been called 'the gift that keeps on giving' — finally, its presence has come in handy. Roughly two-thirds of the global population has been infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which typically causes painful and unsightly blisters around the mouth. University of Southern California researchers have found a way to rebrand this oft-embarrassing sore subject by genetically modifying HSV-1 and administering it to patients with treatment-resistant, advanced skin cancer along with an anti-cancer medication. 4 About 3.8 billion people worldwide have been infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which typically causes painful and unsightly blisters around the mouth. – In a recent clinical trial, this one-two punch shrank tumors by at least 30% in around one-third of the 140 participants. Nearly one in six saw their tumors completely disappear. 'These findings are very encouraging because melanoma is the fifth most common cancer for adults, and about half of all advanced melanoma cases cannot be managed with currently available immunotherapy treatments,' said Dr. Gino Kim In, a medical oncologist with Keck Medicine of USC. Advanced melanoma means the skin cancer has spread from its initial location to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes, the liver or the brain. Immunotherapy to help the immune system attack cancer cells, targeted therapy and radiation therapy are common treatment options. 4 This is a close-up of the herpes virus, which may hold the key in the battle against advanced melanoma. BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images 'The survival rate of untreatable advanced melanoma is only a few years, so this new therapy offers hope to patients who may have run out of options to fight the cancer,' In said. In January, the Food and Drug Administration granted priority review to RP1 (the genetically modified HSV-1) with the anti-cancer medication nivolumab (marketed as Opdivo) for advanced melanoma patients whose cancer had not responded to immunotherapy. Nivolumab blocks a key protein that cancer cells use to evade the immune system, paving the way for the immune system to recognize and attack these cells. The idea is that nivolumab would enhance the effects of RP1, which targets, infects and replicates in tumor cells to destroy them — while sparing healthy tissue. In told The Post that RP1 was developed by knocking out specific genes in HSV-1 so that it no longer causes cold sores. 'Additional genetic modifications were made to the virus to stimulate the immune system to better fight the cancer and to help the virus more efficiently interact with and kill tumor cells,' In said. 4 Nivolumab blocks a key protein that cancer cells use to evade the immune system, paving the way for the immune system to recognize and attack these cells. luchschenF – In the USC trial, researchers injected RP1 into superficial tumors on or near the skin's surface and into tumors deeper in the body, like in the liver or lungs. We're Tracking Prime Day Live! Unlock exclusive NYP codes and real-time deals on everyday must-haves. See Your Deals The combination therapy was administered every two weeks for up to eight cycles. Afterwards, the patients who started to see results took just nivolumab every four weeks for up to two years. Researchers were stunned to notice a difference in the size of the treated and untreated tumors. The untouched tumors shrank or disappeared as often as the injected ones. 'This result suggests that RPI is effective in targeting cancer throughout the entire body and not just the injected tumor,' said In, 'which expands the potential effectiveness of the drug because some tumors may be more difficult or impossible to reach.' 4 Dr. Gino Kim In, a medical oncologist with Keck Medicine of USC, is one of the lead investigators on the trial. Keck Medicine of USC RP1 was reported to be well-tolerated among the participants. Results from the trial were published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting. In and his team launched a phase 3 trial to study the effects of this treatment in over 400 cancer patients. People interested in participating in the trial, sponsored by RP1 manufacturer Replimune, should contact Sandy Tran at
