http://www.csulb.edu/~d49er/archives/2003/summer/news/v10n123-her.shtml

Herpes vaccine research aims for prevention

By Mari Shinkai
Summer Online Forty-Niner

Cal State Long Beach has recently been chosen as one of three Los Angeles sites, for a nationwide research study of a new vaccine against herpes.
 
More than 25 percent of the U.S. population has genital herpes, possibly raising annual associated costs from $1.8 billion to $2.7 billion, according to the Washington Times.
 
The study, conducted by Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for Vaccine Research, shows a 30 percent increase in the number of herpes cases since the 1970s, with the largest increases seen among teens.
 
“The incidence of herpes continues to rise, and it is now twice as common in young adults, 20 to 29 years of age, than it was 20 years ago,” said Michael N. Carbuto, chief physician of Student Health Services and principal investigator for the CSULB study site for the herpes vaccine research study.
 
“Many people do not know that they have the virus, and can pass it on to others unknowingly. The problem is that there is no cure available for herpes,” he said.
 
Herpes sets up a life-long presence in the body. The virus can travel the nerve pathways in a particular part of the body and hide away in the nerve roots for long periods of time.
 
Furthermore, a genital herpes infection often manifests itself in subtle symptoms, but it can be a devastating illness in newborns and has also been identified as a risk factor for the spread of HIV/AIDS in adults.
 
However, the study of the new vaccine may change the projections of herpes.
 
The current herpes vaccine research study started in March 2003 and is expected to continue for the next 4 years. The study is the next step in the evaluation of the GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals herpes vaccine. Prior studies of this vaccine showed that, according to Carbuto, “it was generally well tolerated and that the vaccine was effective in preventing genital herpes disease in women who were previously negative for herpes type 1 [HSV-1 which appears as a sore on the lip] and type2 [HSV-2].”
 
The earlier studies show that approximately 73 percent of women who were free of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection at the beginning of the trials and who received the vaccine were protected against genital herpes.
 
The Los Angeles study sites are currently seeking women resident in the United States, age 18 to 30, who are negative for both HSV-1 and HSV-2. The three Los Angeles sites, CSULB, Cal State Dominguez Hills and UCLA, expect to enroll about 350 to 500 eligible women over the next 18 months.
 
It is possible that the herpes vaccine may be one of the first vaccines available to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, and “may lead the way for development of other vaccines.”
 
“Although the vaccine may be recommended for women, the overall impact of decreasing herpes disease would be important for both genders,” Carbuto said. “This study is an important step because this [herpes] is lifetime illness.”
 
For participation information, call (562) 985-4874 or visit the Student Health Center.

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