Articles

The herpes simplex viruses (HSV 1 and 2) are among the most common infectious agents in the world causing recurrent mucocutaneous disease, neonatal infections, and serious infections in individuals with compromised immune systems. While nucleoside analogues including acyclovir are the mainstays of treatment, the emergence of drug-resistant HSV strains primarily caused by mutations in viral thymidine kinase and DNA polymerase has created a number of profound clinical challenges. Drug resistance results in prolonged disease durations, failed treatment courses, and increased costs to the healthcare system. This problem is especially significant for high-risk populations. Rapid detection of resistance mutations is possible through current advances in molecular diagnostics (e.g., PCR-based assays and next generation sequencing), thus facilitating personalized pharmacotherapy. In addition, novel therapeutic strategies (helicase-primase inhibitors, peptide entry inhibitors, CRISPR/Cas gene editing, RNA interference, nanotechnology-based drug delivery) represent promising potential solutions that may provide novel alternatives to current therapies.