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May 14, 2003

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Unique Vaccine Halts Spread of Herpes"

New Scientist (www.newscientist.com) (04/12/03) Vol. 178, No. 2390, P. 23; Randerson, James

Xenova's Julian Hickling says that a vaccine against herpes could greatly reduce HIV infections because herpes patients are five times more likely to contract the virus that causes AIDS.  A GlaxoSmithKline vaccine containing part of the outer coat of the herpes-simplex 2 virus (HSV-2) showed some success in clinical tests, protecting women who had not been infected with HSV-1; it is not known why only this group of women was protected. However, Hickling's team has engineered a virus that knocks out the gene for the gH coat protein, which allows it to only replicate once.  The vaccine candidate showed some HSV-2 immunity and no side effects in a preliminary trial.

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