Herpes study yields surprising discovery: A potential broad-spectrum antiviral

A large proportion of the world’s population is infected with herpes simplex virus (HSV), and because most individuals do not present with symptoms, they often are not aware of their status. Primary infection and reactivation of the virus can have negative health implications, ranging from cold sores to mild genital lesions to severe ocular that can result in loss of vision entirely, and therefore, a treatment for the virus is imperative. Researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health may have found a solution in a new target for treatments against the virus. They conducted a study that offers insight into how a particular cellular enzyme complex regulates HSV. Their findings were surprising—by inhibiting the cellular enzyme complex in question, EZH2/1, they were able to suppress the infection. Furthermore, the researchers showed that the EZH2/1 inhibitors “also enhanced the cellular antiviral...