Posts Tagged ‘duke university’

Most Americans Have Herpes

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

Most Americans have herpes in some form, the most common types are Herpes Simplex type 1 (HSV type 1) and Herpes Simplex type 2 (HSV type 2).

HSV type 2 is the form of herpes that most commonly causes genital herpes. You can become infected with HSV type 2 during sexual contact with someone who has genital herpes even if the outbreak is not active. The infection causes painful sores (lesions) on the genitals in both men and women.

HSV type 1 is the form of herpes virus that is usually associated with cold sores of the mouth. They are also known as “fever blisters.” You can become infected with HSV-1 by coming into contact with the saliva of an infected person.

It is a fact that HSV type 1 can actually cause genital herpes, the result of oral-genital sexual contact with a person who has the oral HSV-1 infection, and HSV type 2 can cause cold sores.

Herpes can be treated but not cured. It remains temporarily dormant in the nerve cells after an outbreak.  It is believed to be more contagious during active periods when blisters are present, but it can be transmitted from person-to-person without active lesions.

Duke University of North Carolina conducted a study of herpes and found a glimmer of hope for a cure. “Inactive virus is completely untouchable by any treatment we have. Unless you activate the virus, you can’t kill it,” said Bryan Cullen, who oversaw the research. Jennifer Umbach, working with her team of researchers, found that a gene called LAT controls microRNAs that turn off other genes in the virus They speculate that it  may be possible to “wake up” the virus and then kill it with standard antiviral drugs such as acyclovir.

The point that Duke University made about killing herpes once it has become active is important to herpes sufferers. You can kill the herpes virus once it is exposed. When erupting lesions appear the herpes virus is vulnerable and the viral population can be reduced. There is a very strong antiviral antibiotic that is non-prescription that kills the herpes simplex virus on contact. I use this product and recommend it without hesitation to anyone suffering from herpes.

Visit the official Dynamiclear Website for more information

Herpes News: New Research Might Find A Way To Cure Herpes

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008

New research may open the way to permanently kill the herpes virus buy activating the dormant virus then destroying it.

“Inactive virus is completely untouchable by any treatment we have. Unless you activate the virus, you can’t kill it,” said Bryan Cullen, who oversaw the research.

Jennifer Lin Umbach of Duke University in North Carolina said that for still unknown reasons, viruses infecting different neurons in the same body activate at different times, making it impossible to eradicate an infection.

Her team found that a gene called LAT controls microRNAs that turn off other genes in the virus.

A drug that would turn off the microRNAs could drive the virus out of hiding and allow all copies of the virus to be killed with acyclovir, she said.

“You would have one cold sore but you would get rid of it,” she said. Curing something more painful, such as shingles, might be a little trickier, she added.

The potential market is large. An estimated one in five Americans have genital herpes (HSV-2) according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while 100 million have the HSV-1 virus that causes cold sores.

Whether or not this new research reveals a  way to cure herpes by activating the dormant virus, you can do something about herpes outbreaks today. Visit this page.