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Scientists may have found a gene that explains why the brain is protected from the herpes virus, a finding that could help treat the disease.
An international team of biologists led by Yujia Cai of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Søren Paludan of Aarhus University in Denmark found that knocking out the gene in human stem cell-derived neurons led to a significant increase in HSV-1 replication, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday.
This result has been confirmed in mouse experiments. When the gene was knocked out, the viral load in the neurons of the mouse brain increased significantly.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 67% of the world’s population is infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1.
It primarily attacks nerve tissue, but in rare cases, it can reach the central nervous system and cause death.
Most carriers do not experience severe symptoms.
However, this study used the gene editing tool CRISPR to find that a gene called “TMEFF1” was the key.
Although most HSV infections are asymptomatic or undiagnosed, the virus remains a global public health threat. The World Health Organization says medications can reduce symptoms but cannot cure the infection.
Recurring symptoms of oral and genital herpes make many infected people miserable, but in rare cases the virus can attack the central nervous system, causing a disease called herpes simplex encephalitis, which has a mortality rate of up to 70%.
But the researchers hope the discovery could lead to treatments for the disease and the development of peptides — smaller versions of the TMEFF1 protein — that they say are highly effective in preventing HSV infection.
Shanghai Jiao Tong University said: “This study reports for the first time a neuron-specific antiviral factor, providing a new perspective for studying the brain’s antiviral immune mechanism.”
The findings were published July 24 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.
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