Jennifer Umbach, a postdoctoral associate in the department of molecular genetics and microbiology and her mentor Bryan Cullen, a professor of molecular genetics and microbiology, spent three years developing an understanding of how the virus reactivates from dormancy to cause cold sores on the mouth and face. Their most recent paper explaining the mechanism was published in the July issue of Nature.
“Our work provides, for the first time, a molecular understanding of how HSV-1 establishes a life-long latent infection,” said Jennifer.
What this means is that new drugs may be able to be developed that will permanently cure HSV-1 by interrupting the mechanism that triggers dormancy in HSV-1 and killing it with current antiviral medications. Of course there is no guarantee that such an approach will work, but at least the understanding of researchers has been advanced.
