In an exciting news article on combating genital herpes, one of the world leaders in the field of pharmaceutical research recently announced that it may be close to producing a vaccine for the HSV-2 virus that causes a sexually transmitted disease. American biotechnology firm Agenus Inc. published findings from her current research project in June, which showed that her drug for the treatment of HerpV successfully stopped the onset of herpes symptoms in men and women who took part. More impressively, the pharmaceutical also appears to have inhibited the virus. ability to infect a new host.
Why does HerpV work?
Without going too deep into advanced biology, HerpV succeeds in stimulating the immune system's response, which increases cells. ability to identify a virus. This is achieved by injecting what is called “heat shock protein,” or HSP, into the bloodstream. Once it is in the body, HSP binds to the surface of healthy cells, potentially leading infected blood cells, to become incompatible and unable to join (i.e., replicate).
By blocking the HSV-2 virus from self-replication, HerpV actually makes it unable to cause outbreaks in current sufferers and non-infectious for uninfected people. This is certainly an amazing proposition for about 16% of the population that is now struggling with genital herpes.
How remarkable are the Agenes? Conclusions?
In what was mentioned as a phase 1 study, 100% of patients with positive herpes who were injected with HerpV injection demonstrated a significant increase in the antigen-targeted immune mechanism of the immune response to the virus. In terminal terminology, this indicates that the T-cells in each and every one of the study subjects became immune to HSV-2 soon after the introduction of HSP.
Dr. David Coell, professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, made conclusions on behalf of Ahenos and made the following statement: “I believe that this data is the first detection of this kind in people during the treatment of genital herpes. "The professor continued to say:" The potential use for a candidate for a therapeutic vaccine, such as HerpV, is to combat outbreaks and extremely painful transmission in patients with genital herpes. "
Could this indicate that the vaccine is just around the corner?
The implications of these initial conclusions about HerpV are enormous. Dr. Coel confirmed this fact, stating: “The possibility of impact and, possibly, reducing the spread of genital herpes will be a huge step in combating this epidemic that will affect one out of six adults in the United States.” With all the excitement this message aroused, the logical next question was “So, how close is the HerpV vaccine to release to the public?”
Although it may be very far away, it is illegal that the vaccine will be available for existing genital patients suffering from herpes at any time in the near future. Agenus is now starting the second phase of his research on the usefulness of the drug and, believing that he will continue to be successful, will then have to submit to the FDA approval program before the release of the vaccine. Since this process can often take years, the struggle to eliminate its symptoms in men and women may not be as close to its conclusion as we want to think.
