Herpesvirus | Common News Update

June 21 (UPI) -- Certain species of herpesviruses may play a role in Alzheimer's disease according to a study of brain samples from people with and without the disease. Researchers made the discovery after examining data from brain banks and cohort studies that are part of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership -- Alzheimer's Disease consortium. But the researchers, who published their findings Thursday in the journal Neuron, emphasize that their research doesn't prove that the viruses cause the onset or progression of Alzheimer's. Currently, no effective prevention or treatment exists for this progressive deterioration of brain tissue, memory and identity, but researchers are hopeful that new, better treatments can emerge as a result of their work. "The hypothesis that viruses play a pa...

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- A study in mice by the National Institutes of Health has uncovered a potential broad-spectrum antiviral that may be effective against herpesvirus.Two-thirds of the world's population are infected with HSV-1 and roughly 500 million have HSV-2, according to the World Health Organization.When a person is infected with the herpes simplex virus, or HSV, the virus can persist in the body in a latent form, which can reactivate, causing recurrent infection.HSV can cause a variety of diseases, including oral cold sores, genital lesions, serious eye conditions and blindness.Recurrent HSV can lead to ocular HSV infections causing corneal scarring, and neonatal infections can lead to developmental delays, neurological issues and death. People infected with HSV are also at an increased...

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Herpesvirus may contribute to Alzheimer's development, researchers say

Herpesvirus study leads to discovery of broad-spectrum antiviral