Vaccination prevents latent HSV1 infection of mouse brain.
Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a rare but very serious disorder caused by herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1). Treatment with acyclovir decreases mortality but many patients still suffer cognitive impairment subsequently. A vaccine against HSV1 would therefore be of great value. HSV-1 has been implicated also in Alzheimer's disease (AD): we established that HSV1 resides in the brain of about two thirds of AD patients and aged normal people, and that in carriers of the type 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene, it is a strong risk factor for AD. Thus a vaccine against HSV-1 might prevent development of AD in some cases. To find whether a vaccine of mixed HSV-1 glycoproteins (ISCOMs), which protects mice from latent HSV-1 infection of sensory ganglia, prevents HSV1 latency in the CNS, ISCOM-vaccinated or unvaccinated animals were infected with HSV-1. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) we detected HSV-1 in brain from 16 of 39 unvaccinated mice (41%), but only 3 of 41 vaccinated mice (7%) (P < 0.001). Thus, ISCOMs protect the CNS also, suggesting their possible future usage in humans.
Lin
W R
WR
University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Optometry & Neuroscience, M60 1QD, Manchester, UK.
Jennings
R
R
Smith
T L
TL
Wozniak
M A
MA
Itzhaki
R F
RF
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D022283:Herpesvirus Vaccines; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014765:Viral Vaccines
D004279:DNA, Viral; D022283:Herpesvirus Vaccines; D014765:Viral Vaccines