What are the different kinds of herpes research?

Herpes simplex type I and II viruses are extremely persistent viruses that lie in the nervous system of the body, long after the end of the initial infection. While the medicine for herpes is not in the immediate future, scientists are exploring many types of Herpes research. In recent years, Herpes has focused on the development of a vaccine for those who have not yet been infected, and stopping the reinfections that occur when the virus lies in the host and the development of a drug that erades the virus in individuals already infected. To do this, scientists try to identify the substances that the virus needs to survive and identify the mechanisms that make herpes viruses so persistent. Once scientists learn enough about how herpes virus works in the host body, Herpes can be a possible medicine.

There are two main types of herpes viruses. Herpes Simplex Virus Type I (HSV-I) is a type of herpes virus that causes oral ulcers while herpes simpLex type II virus (HSV-II) is a type of herpes virus that causes bulbs and lesions. In the US alone, 20 percent of the population is infected with one or dwelling types of herpes virus. Although there is no lack of scientists trying to find a vaccine or medicine, there is a lack of funds necessary to complete the research. Given that the US National Institute of Health (NIH) funds only about 8 percent of the applications received, scientists usually depend on private financing.

One type of research Herpes focuses on preventing the virus from infecting individuals and controlling the spread of Herpes virus. Traditional vaccines are made of weakened or dead viruses that stimulate a human immune response. These types of vaccines are not effective against persistent viruses such as herpes. Scientists develop subunit vaccines that are made of one piece of viral protein. Ubunit svaccines are safer than traditional vaccines because they cannot reproduce and cause the diseases that are designed to preventt. Other vaccines can interrupt DNA viral instructions that produce a substance that weakens the defense of the host cell.

Another type of Herpes's research is trying to control the spread of the virus by developing vaginal suppositories. These local microbicides contain substances that could kill the virus and prevent infection if they are used before engaging in sexual intercourse with the infected person. Currently, the only way to control the spread of herpes is suppressing drugs such as acyclovir, Famciclovir and Valacyclovir.

Scientists believe that the only way to kill herpes virus in an already infected individual is to activate it, wait until it comes to hiding in the nerve cells of the back ganglia and then kill it. Some herpes research studies which genes are responsible for viral activity. The theory goes that once the virus is activated, medicines such as acyclovir can be treated. The problem is how to activate all the sleeping virus at the same time. When the Herpes virus lies in the body, its parts are activated indifferent times, which prevents the treatment of the whole virus at the same time.