Antiherpetic Agent Research Articles

Exploring Traditional Uses, Phytochemical Composition, and Antimicrobial Potential of Latex-Producing Plants in the Euphorbia Genus: A Comprehensive Review

The Euphorbia genus, ranking as the third largest among angiosperm plants, encompasses nearly 2026 species. The latex derived from these plants contains irritants to the skin and finds application in wart removal. Additionally, it serves as a source for crafting fish and arrow poisons. Literature substantiates the utilization of these plants in the treatment of diverse ailments including menstrual issues, diarrhea, colds, fevers, as well as an array of skin conditions such as warts, sores, boils, dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, and sunburn. Moreover, they contribute to wound healing. Certain species within the Euphorbia genus, classified under Euphorbiaceae, exhibit properties as anti-herpetic and antitumor agents against polio, rhinoviruses, and coxsackievirus. In the realm of Ayurveda, specific plant latex from select species is employed in the preparation of surgical threads for Kshara sutra therapy. This Ayurvedic approach serves as a minimally invasive para-surgical procedure in the management of anorectal piles or fistula. Remarkably, various di- and tri-terpenes obtained from the latex exhibit robust antimicrobial activity against both bacterial and fungal strains. Moreover, the di-terpenoids sourced from Euphorbia species display anti-inflammatory properties along with noteworthy cytotoxic and anticancer activities. The focal objective of this review is to present a contemporary overview encompassing traditional applications, phytochemical constituents, and the antimicrobial potential of ten latex-producing plants within the Euphorbia genus.

Investigation of the Inhibition Activity of Aluminium Oxide Nanoparticles for Herpes Simplex Type 1.

Several studies have shown that Herpes simplex type 1 )HSV-1 (is one of the viruses resistant to medications, so potential antiherpetic agents need to be evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles (Al2O3-NPs) on HSV-1 infection. Characterization of Al2O3-NPs was performed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The MTT test was used to investigate the toxicity action of Al2O3-NPs on viable cells. Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR)and TCID50 assays were used to achieve the antiherpetic performance Al2O3-NPs.Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was performed to determine the inhibitory impact of Al2O3-NPs on viral antigen expression, and acyclovir was utilized as a standard agent in all tests. HSV-1 subjected to Al2O3-NPs at the maximum non-toxic concentration (100 μg / mL) leads to a decrease of 0.1, 0.7, 1.8, and 2.5 log10 TCID50 in the infectious titer relative to virus control (P<0.0001). This concentration of Al2O3-NPs was correlated with 16.9%, 47.1 %, 61.2 %, 72.5 % and 74.6 % inhibition rates, calculated based on HSV-1 viral load compared to virus control. Our results have shown that Al2O3-NPs have a robust antiviral activity against HSV-1. This function demonstrates excellent potential for using Al2O3-NP in topical formulations for treating orolabial or genital herpetic lesions.

Cervical Cytology and Herpes Simplex Virus Type-2 Serology Among Human Immune Deficiency Virus Infected Women on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy in Enugu, Nigeria.

The prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Herpes Simplex Virus type-2 (HSV-2) infections are high and the programme for Cervical Cancer Screening is weak in Nigeria. Prevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus Type-2 co-infection and cervical cytology among HSV-2 co-infected Human Immunodeficiency Virus Sero-positive (HIV+) women on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) attending Human Immunodeficiency Virus clinic at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku/Ozalla Enugu, Nigeria. A cross-sectional, hospital-based study. Active participants included 105 HIV seropositive women on HAART and104 HIV seronegative (HIV-) women who passed inclusion criteria and signed written informed consent. Each participant was coded with a specific number. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain the socio-demographic and medical history. Serum was obtained for HSV-2 serology test for all participants and HIV screening for HIV-negative participants. Cervical smears were collected for Papanicolaou stains and Immunocytochemistry using anti-P16INKa antibody. Prevalence of HSV-2+ was 50.5% among HIV+ women on HAART and 16.3% among HIV- women, Odds Ratios [95% CI]; p-value was 5.21 [2.74-9.94]; p < 0.0001. HIV+ women on HAART co-infected with HSV-2 significantly had more Cervical Lesions, 11.4% compared to HIVwomen uninfected with HSV-2, 4.8%, OR [95% CI]; p-value 4.8 (1.58-14.54); p = 0.006. The prevalence of HSV-2 was significantly high among HIV+ women on HAART. HSV-2+ co-infection could be an enhancer of Cervical Lesions among HIV+ women on HAART. Hence, anti-herpetic agent introduction and screening for HSV-2 among HIV+ patients are recommended.

Superior antiviral activity of IFNβ in genital HSV-1 infection.

Type I interferons (IFNs) present the first line of defense against viral infections, providing antiviral, immunomodulatory and antiproliferative effects. The type I IFN family contains 12 IFNα subtypes and IFNβ, and although they share the same receptor, they are classified as non-redundant, capable to induce a variety of different IFN-stimulated genes. However, the biological impact of individual subtypes remains controversial. Recent data propose a subtype-specificity of type I IFNs revealing unique effector functions for different viruses and thus expanding the implications for IFNα-based antiviral immunotherapies. Despite extensive research, drug-resistant infections with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which is the common agent of recurrent orogenital lesions, are still lacking a protective or curing therapeutic. However, due to the risk of generalized infections in immunocompromised hosts as well as the increasing incidence of resistance to conventional antiherpetic agents, HSV infections raise major health concerns. Based on their pleiotropic effector functions, the application of type I IFNs represents a promising approach to inhibit HSV-1 replication, to improve host immunity and to further elucidate their qualitative differences. Here, selective IFNα subtypes and IFNβ were evaluated for their therapeutic potential in genital HSV-1 infections. Respective in vivo studies in mice revealed subtype-specific differences in the reduction of local viral loads. IFNβ had the strongest antiviral efficacy against genital HSV-1 infection in mice, whereas IFNα1, IFNα4, and IFNα11 had no impact on viral loads. Based on flow cytometric analyses of underlying immune responses at local and peripheral sites, these differences could be further assigned to specific modulations of the antiviral immunity early during HSV-1 infection. IFNβ led to enhanced systemic cytokine secretion and elevated cytotoxic responses, which negatively correlated with viral loads in the vaginal tract. These data provide further insights into the diversity of type I IFN effector functions and their impact on the immunological control of HSV-1 infections.

Anti-ulcer effect of megosin in a model of acute experimental colitis in RATS

Megosin is the original derivative of gossypol. Previously, the drug was obtained by condensation of gossypol with β-aminoethylsulfate sodium and used as an immunosuppressive agent, which was a low-toxic substance and contributed to a longer engraftment of skin flaps in mice, kidneys and lungs in dogs. Further, it was used as an antiherpetic agent, in the form of a 3% ointment. At present, the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, on the basis of existing dosage forms, has developed megosin enteric capsules for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and conducted histological studies, which proved the ulcer-healing effect of the new dosage form of megosin.

English

Marine brown macroalgae have stood out as important sources of new bioactive products, such as antimicrobial, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and antiviral drugs. This study aimed to review the literature on the applications of products derived from brown macroalgae as antiviral agents against human herpesviruses. To date, species of seven distinct orders of brown algae have been studied for this purpose, such as Fucales (19 species), Dictyotales (14 species), Ectocarpales (9 species), Laminariales (2 species), Scytothamnales (1 species), Sphacelariales (1 species) and Tilopteridales (1 species). The products evaluated in this review include extracts, fractions and isolated natural products, mainly terpenoids. Extracts, fractions and isolates of brown algae were evaluated against four viruses: simple herpesviruses types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Epstein&ndash;Barr Virus (VEB), also known as human herpesvirus 4 (HHV-4). This review shows products derived from brown macroalgae as potential antiherpetic agents. Key words: Brown algae, antiviral, marine natural products.

Identifying HSV-1 Inhibitors from Natural Compounds via Virtual Screening Targeting Surface Glycoprotein D.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are a worldwide health problem in need of new effective treatments. Of particular interest is the identification of antiviral agents that act via different mechanisms compared to current drugs, as these could interact synergistically with first-line antiherpetic agents to accelerate the resolution of HSV-1-associated lesions. For this study, we applied a structure-based molecular docking approach targeting the nectin-1 and herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM) binding interfaces of the viral glycoprotein D (gD). More than 527,000 natural compounds were virtually screened using Autodock Vina and then filtered for favorable ADMET profiles. Eight top hits were evaluated experimentally in African green monkey kidney cell line (VERO) cells, which yielded two compounds with potential antiherpetic activity. One active compound (1-(1-benzofuran-2-yl)-2-[(5Z)-2H,6H,7H,8H-[1,3] dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinoline-5-ylidene]ethenone) showed weak but significant antiviral activity. Although less potent than antiherpetic agents, such as acyclovir, it acted at the viral inactivation stage in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting a novel mode of action. These results highlight the feasibility of in silico approaches for identifying new antiviral compounds, which may be further optimized by medicinal chemistry approaches.

Preparation of Ricinoleic Acid from Castor Oil:A Review

Castor oil is a vegetable product extracted from Ricinus communis L (castor seed), which is primarily considered an important commercial value for the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, coatings, etc. It is rich in hydroxylated fatty acids (ricinoleic acid, 89-92%) and is widely used in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, oleochemical, and agricultural industries. This oil has also been confirmed as a bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, and antiherpetic agents, due to the ricinoleic acid having functional groups, such as -COOH, -OH, and -C=C-. Furthermore, it is converted into various acid derivative compounds with several applications. Therefore, this article reviewed some reaction stages to the preparation of ricinoleic acid from castor oil. Several methods or reaction pathways were employed in the preparation procedure, such as the Twitchell and Colgate-Emery processes, as well as the alkaline catalyzed, transesterification with methyl ricinoleic, and lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis, respectively. Although each of these preparation methods has advantages and disadvantages, the most effective technique was the hydrolysis through the use of the enzyme lipozyme TL IM. Besides being a green method, the conversion rate in the hydrolysis process was 96.2 ± 1.5.

АНТИГЕРПЕТИЧНА ДІЯ СОЛЕЙ ЦЕРІЮ IN VITRO

Compounds based on cerium are highly promising objects in biotechnology regarding their high biological activities such as antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, neuro- and radioprotective action, and antioxidant activity. On their basis is possible to develop compositions capable of activating the systems of cellular and humoral immune defence and use them for the prevention and therapy of viral diseases, which makes it achievable to use them for the development of potential antiherpetic agents. Despite the success of their application in biotechnological fields, the mechanism of their action on biological objects requires detailed research. The work aimed to verify in vitro anti-HSV-1/2 activity of trivalent and tetravalent cerium salts (1 mM – 0.01 nM) according to the preventive and therapeutic regimen. Methods: virological, cytological, statistical. Results. The therapeutic regime was noneffective. In the preventive regime, salt (NH4)2Ce(NO3)6 in vitro forms antiviral resistance in the range of investigated concentrations, while the salt CeCl3·7Н2О forms a non-linear, sinusoidal-like concentration-dependent anti-HSV-1/2 response of cells. Conclusions. Cerium salts (III and IV) can cause the formation of a state of antiviral resistance in the model system MA-104 - HSV-1/2 during their previous 24 h of contact with test cells. Cerium salt (IV) provides 50% inhibition of the cytopathic action of HSV-1/2 at a concentration of 1 μM. It is assumed that the shown antiviral activity of cerium salts may be due to their effect on the interferon system and the formation of antiviral resistance in cells.

Effect of honey and propolis, compared to acyclovir, against Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)-induced lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ethnopharmacological relevanceApitherapy is a branch of traditional medicine that uses bee products to manage numerous diseases. In this context, the antiherpetic effect of these bee products has been demonstrated in some studies with some controversial results. Aim of the studyThus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness of honey and propolis with acyclovir, the reference drug, in the treatment of cold sores and genital herpes. Materials and methodsThe selection of eligible studies was conducted through the search in Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, LILACS, and Electronic Scientific Library. ResultsThe search yielded 147 articles, of which nine were considered eligible for analysis. The analysis of these studies showed that the healing property of propolis is superior to that obtained for acyclovir (95% CI: 2.70 to 8.25; p = 0.0001). Furthermore, honey also presented a better healing effect than acyclovir against Herpes simplex virus-induced wounds (95% CI: 3.58 to −0.19; p = 0.03), inducing complete re-epithelization of herpetic lesions after 8 days, while for acyclovir, the healing time average was 9 days. It also provoked a similar reduction of pain caused by herpetic compared to acyclovir (95% CI: 2.27 to −0.42; p = 0.18). ConclusionsOverall, these results confirm the use of honey and propolis as potent antiherpetic agents.

Natural Products and Their Derivatives against Human Herpesvirus Infection.

Herpesviruses establish long-term latent infection for the life of the host and are known to cause numerous diseases. The prevalence of viral infection is significantly increased and causes a worldwide challenge in terms of health issues due to drug resistance. Prolonged treatment with conventional antiviral drugs is more likely to develop drug-resistant strains due to mutations of thymidine nucleoside kinase or DNA polymerase. Hence, the development of alternative treatments is clearly required. Natural products and their derivatives have played a significant role in treating herpesvirus infection rather than nucleoside analogs in drug-resistant strains with minimal undesirable effects and different mechanisms of action. Numerous plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria-derived compounds have been proved to be efficient and safe for treating human herpesvirus infection. This review covers the natural antiherpetic agents with the chemical structural class of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, polyphenols, anthraquinones, anthracyclines, and miscellaneous compounds, and their antiviral mechanisms have been summarized. This review would be helpful to get a better grasp of anti-herpesvirus activity of natural products and their derivatives, and to evaluate the feasibility of natural compounds as an alternative therapy against herpesvirus infections in humans.

A novel bioluminescent herpes simplex virus 1 for in vivo monitoring of herpes simplex encephalitis

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is responsible for herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE), associated with a 70% mortality rate in the absence of treatment. Despite intravenous treatment with acyclovir, mortality remains significant, highlighting the need for new anti-herpetic agents. Herein, we describe a novel neurovirulent recombinant HSV-1 (rHSV-1), expressing the fluorescent tdTomato and Gaussia luciferase (Gluc) enzyme, generated by the Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)—CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR-Cas9) system. The Gluc activity measured in the cell culture supernatant was correlated (P = 0.0001) with infectious particles, allowing in vitro monitoring of viral replication kinetics. A significant correlation was also found between brain viral titers and Gluc activity in plasma (R2 = 0.8510, P < 0.0001) collected from BALB/c mice infected intranasally with rHSV-1. Furthermore, evaluation of valacyclovir (VACV) treatment of HSE could also be performed by analyzing Gluc activity in mouse plasma samples. Finally, it was also possible to study rHSV-1 dissemination and additionally to estimate brain viral titers by in vivo imaging system (IVIS). The new rHSV-1 with reporter proteins is not only as a powerful tool for in vitro and in vivo antiviral screening, but can also be used for studying different aspects of HSE pathogenesis.

A Case Report of Acute Laryngitis with Auricular Lesion: Herpes Zoster Infection with Isolated Vagus Nerve Involvement and Vocal Fold Paresis

Acute laryngitis and acute inflammatory diseases of either infectious or non-infectious causes have similarities with herpes zoster of the vagus nerve (VHZ). We present a case which was initially diagnosis wtih acute laryngitis but finally diagnosed as VHZ. A 41-year-old male presented with an ongoing fever, throat pain and right otalgia lasting for two days with worsening symptoms despite nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug medication. Initially, he was treated conservatively as acute laryngitis was suspected. However, VHZ was subsequently diagnosed in this patient after considering unilateral auricular and laryngeal vesicles which were followed by ipsilateral vocal fold paresis. An antiherpetic agent and prednisolone were administered upon the presentation of vocal fold paresis. Axonotmesis was discovered by laryngeal electromyography one week after the appearance of vocal fold paresis. All symptoms subsided after one month. These results highlight the importance of understanding vagus nerve function in developing a differential diagnosis for laryngitis and VHZ.

Natural Products-Derived Chemicals: Breaking Barriers to Novel Anti-HSV Drug Development.

Recently, the problem of viral infection, particularly the infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), has dramatically increased and caused a significant challenge to public health due to the rising problem of drug resistance. The antiherpetic drug resistance crisis has been attributed to the overuse of these medications, as well as the lack of new drug development by the pharmaceutical industry due to reduced economic inducements and challenging regulatory requirements. Therefore, the development of novel antiviral drugs against HSV infections would be a step forward in improving global combat against these infections. The incorporation of biologically active natural products into anti-HSV drug development at the clinical level has gained limited attention to date. Thus, the search for new drugs from natural products that could enter clinical practice with lessened resistance, less undesirable effects, and various mechanisms of action is greatly needed to break the barriers to novel antiherpetic drug development, which, in turn, will pave the road towards the efficient and safe treatment of HSV infections. In this review, we aim to provide an up-to-date overview of the recent advances in natural antiherpetic agents. Additionally, this paper covers a large scale of phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids, polysaccharides, peptides, and other miscellaneous compounds derived from various sources of natural origin (plants, marine organisms, microbial sources, lichen species, insects, and mushrooms) with promising activities against HSV infections; these are in vitro and in vivo studies. This work also highlights bioactive natural products that could be used as templates for the further development of anti-HSV drugs at both animal and clinical levels, along with the potential mechanisms by which these compounds induce anti-HSV properties. Future insights into the development of these molecules as safe and effective natural anti-HSV drugs are also debated.

Antiviral activity of Α-hydroxytropolones on caprine alphaherpesvirus 1 in vitro

The emergence of human alphaherpesvirus strains (i.e. HHV-1 and -2) resistant to commonly used antiviral drugs has prompted the research for alternative, biologically active anti-herpetic agents. Natural-product and synthetic α-hydroxytropolones (αHTs) have been identified as lead therapeutic agents for a number of infections, including HHV-1 and -2, and several veterinary herpesviruses, i.e. bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), equine alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and feline alphaherpesvirus 1 (FHV-1). In the present study we evaluated the activity in vitro of two natural and two synthetic α-hydroxytropolones (αHTs) against Caprine alphaherpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1) which is regarded as a useful homologous animal model for the study of HSV-2 infection, chiefly for the assessment of antiviral drugs in in vivo studies. AlphaHTs were able to decrease significantly CpHV-1 viral titres up to 4.25 log10 TCID50/50 μl and suppressed extensively CpHV-1 nucleic acids up to 8.71 log10 viral DNA copy number/10 μl. This study demonstrated the efficacy of αHTs against CpHV-1 in vitro, adding to their activity observed against the human and animal alphaherpesviruses in vitro. The activity of αHTs against CpHV-1 appeared similar but not identical to the patterns of activity observed against other alphaherpesviruses, suggesting virus-related variability in terms of response to specific αHT molecules. These findings open several perspectives in terms of future studies using the CpHV-1 homologous animal model, for the development of therapeutic tools against herpesviruses.

Inhibition of herpes simplex virus type 1 by copper oxide nanoparticles

There are accumulating reports of the emergence of drug-resistant strains of HSV-1 that have become a barrier to successful treatment of HSV-1 infection. Therefore, there is a pressing need to identify and evaluate alternative antiherpetic agents. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NPs) on HSV-1 infection. The MTT assay was applied to examine the cytotoxic effects of CuO-NPs on Vero cells. Antiherpetic potency was determined using the TCID50 and quantitative Real-Time PCR assays. To evaluate the inhibitory impact of CuO-NPs on the expression of viral antigens, an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was performed. Acyclovir was used as a reference drug in all experiments. Exposure of HSV-1 with CuO-NPs at the highest non-toxic concentration (100 μg/mL) resulted in 2.8 log10 TCID50 reduction in infectious virus titer as compared with virus control (P < 0.0001). This concentration of CuO-NPs was associated with 83.3% inhibition rate, which was estimated based on the HSV-1 viral load compared to virus control. Our findings demonstrated that CuO-NPs are associated with a significant antiviral potency against HSV-1. This feature shows strong potential for CuO-NPs to be used in topical formulations for the treatment of orolabial or genital herpetic lesions.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and In Silico Studies of 1,2,4‐Triazole and 1,3,4‐Thiadiazole Derivatives as Antiherpetic Agents

AbstractTwo isosteric series of 1,2,4‐triazole and 1,3,4‐thiadiazole derivatives were designed and synthesized in this work to be evaluated for their antiviral activity. Compounds 2–9 and 11–19 were synthesized and their antiviral activity was tested against herpes simplex virus type 1, HSV‐1, using acyclovir, ACV, as a reference drug. In addition, molecular docking into the active site of HSV‐1 thymidine kinase was performed to interpret the data obtained from biological testing, and all compounds were subjected to an in silico screening of their physicochemical properties to estimate their drug‐likeness and safety. The results revealed that compound 7 was able to reduce the viral plaques by 50% at a dose of 80 μM, but interestingly, retained high selectivity compared to ACV (&gt;200 μM vs. 80 μM). The best effective and safe compound in this study, 7, was further tested for its combined effects with ACV on the anti‐HSV‐1 activity in the plaque reduction assay. Compound 7 proved to improve the selectivity of ACV and reduce its effective dose that produced 100% inhibition of viral plaques. The triazolopyrimidine 7 is suggested to be a promising candidate for further development as an antiherpetic agent. Molecular docking into the active site of HSV‐1 thymidine kinase emphasized the superior interaction of compound 7.

Virucidal activity of ginger essential oil against caprine alphaherpesvirus-1

The emergence of alphaherpesvirus strains resistant to commonly used antiviral drugs has prompted the research for alternative, biologically active anti-herpetic agents. Essential oils (EOs) have shown anti-infective properties against human herpes simplex viruses (HSV-1 and -2). Caprine alphaherpesvirus 1 (CpHV-1) induces genital lesions in its natural host and it is regarded as a useful homologous animal model for the study of HSV-2 infection, chiefly for the assessment of antiviral drugs in in vivo studies. In the present study we evaluated the activity in vitro of ginger EO (GEO) against CpHV-1. GEO was found to be effective as virucide on cell-free virus, inactivating CpHV-1 up to 100%. The virucidal activity of GEO is likely accounted for by disruption of herpesvirus envelope and its associated structures which are necessary for virus adsorption and entry into host cells. On the opposite, GEO was not able to inhibit virus adsorption and/or replication, as treatment of cells before and after infection did not abolish virus infectivity. GEO could be suggested for topical applications in in vivo experiments using CpHV-1/goat model, since the lipophilic nature of EOs favours their adsorption through the cutaneous/mucosal barrier, either alone or in conjunction with other molecules. These findings open several perspectives in terms of therapeutic possibilities for a number of human and animal alphaherpesviruses.

Herpes Vegetans and Review of Verrucous Lesions of the Anogenital Region

Abstract Herpes vegetans is one of the rare atypical presentations of herpes simplex virus in immunocompromised patients such as those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which presents as an exophytic, proliferative lesion that resembles either a verrucous or a malignant growth. Patients with immunosuppression as in HIV infection may experience more frequent and more severe recurrences of genital herpes. They are also more likely to be resistant to standard antiherpetic agents such as acyclovir. Herpes simplex virus infection in patients with immune suppression such as HIV can also be atypical in morphology and present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The verrucous lesions of the anogenital region can be similar in many causes of, and it is important to look for subtle differences in appearance and use a variety of diagnostic methods to arrive at a correct diagnosis. We performed a literature review of the verrucous lesions in the anogenital region and also report a case of herpes vegetans.

Viral Oncolytic Therapy

AbstractViral oncolysis broadly refers to the use of modified viruses to infect and subsequently lyse tumor cells. This concept arises from the observation that viral replication is itself effective in destroying tumor cells. This effect is then amplified by reinfection of adjacent tumor cells by the progeny virion released from lysed tumor cells. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) has been the primary focus of current efforts in viral oncolysis. It is a double-stranded DNA virus that is a ubiquitous pathogen transmitted by direct mucosal contact. HSV-1 possesses several features well suited to viral oncolytic therapy. It does not integrate into the cellular genome, has a large transgene capacity of up to 50 kb, and is already highly prevalent in the general population. In addition, effective antiherpetic agents are available to stop unwanted viral replication. HSV-1 mutants that preferentially replicate in neoplastic cells rather than normal cells have been characterized, and several variants of replication deficient HSV-1 mutants have been created and studied. They follow a common theme in that their replication is significantly attenuated in normal cells, while activated in cancer cells. Studies have been performed in various strains including those known as G207, NV1020, talimogene laherparepvec, and rRp450, and are reviewed here. Viral oncolysis is an exciting area of research with applications to tumors throughout the body. It holds promise as a new treatment for primary and metastatic liver cancer and may soon become a relevant therapy in interventional oncology.