For people who frequently suffer from oral herpes or Simplex 1 outbreaks, treatment choices are limited. In some instances, patients develop a resistance to available drugs, so that no treatment is available to them. Researchers at the University of Illinois, Chicago, have discovered a drug molecule. This molecule can clear the simplex 1 virus in the cells of the cornea of the eye. In this article, we examine how this promising new drug could help treat simplex 1 outbreaks.
What Is the Simplex 1 Virus?
The simplex 1 virus causes oral herpes, with patients either showing no signs of infection or breaking out in fever blisters and cold sores. As a highly contagious virus, it remains in the body throughout someone’s life. Symptoms can be eased using a variety of drugs. However, the infection remains. The virus is passed on from one individual to another through bodily fluids.
Research Shows this Promising New Drug Could Help Treat Simplex 1 Outbreaks
The simplex 1 virus can also cause lesions in the cornea of the eye and even lead to corneal blindness. While conducting research into molecular basis of ocular simplex 1 infection, researchers discovered that the TANK-binding kinase 1 inhibitor BX795 significantly curbed the infection by multiple simplex 1 virus strains.
For that reason, the scientists involved now believe that this small-molecule-inhibitor may become a viable and effective alternative to currently available treatments. While outlining how this promising new drug could help treat simplex 1 outbreaks, researchers also believe that it could be used in the treatment of other viral infections.
According to Alex Agelidis co-author of this research paper, the low toxicity of BX795 means that it has great potential for topical application and systemic use.
