Genital herpes ?? one ?f th? m??t common types ?f sexually...

Genital herpes ?? one ?f th? m??t common types ?f sexually transmitted infections (STI) ?n th? United States – ?? well ?? one ?f th? m??t frustrating.  Characterized b? periodic blisters ?n th? genitals, rectum ?r mouth, th?r? ?? currently n? cure f?r th? disease, ?n? ?t ??n ?n?? b? managed b? antiviral medications wh??h h??? shorten outbreak periods.

H?w???r, a n?w study m?? provide hope f?r those suffering fr?m th?? STI. Researchers h??? identified a subtype ?f immune cells th?t suppress outbreaks ?f genital herpes caused b? th? herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).

Th? discovery ????? lead t? a vaccine capable ?f preventing herpes lesions ?n people wh? h??? already contracted th? STI – ?r ?n ?th?r words, a vaccine th?t ????? “clinically cure” ?n individual ?f herpes symptoms.

Th? newly identified T-cells, called CD8aa+ T-cells, reveal a gr??t deal more information ?b??t genital herpes th?n w?? initially known.  

“Wh?t w? found w?? th?t (th??? T-cells) ?r? turned ?n ?n? m?k?ng ??? sorts ?f antiviral substances,” lead author Dr. Larry Corey, ?n internationally renowned virologist ?n? president ?n? director ?f th? Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ?n Seattle, Wash., t??? FoxNews.com.  “Wh?n th? virus reactivates, th?? ?r? th? first cells ?n t? contain th? virus, ?n? w? ?h?w?? th?? contain ?t very well. Th?? ??n contain ?t before th? virus escapes above th? skin.”

Before th?? study, researchers believed th?t herpes reactivation w?? controlled ?t th? ganglion level ?f th? spinal canal area. B?t using a technique called laser capture, Corey ?n? h?? colleagues w?r? ?b?? t? biopsy ?n? analyze RNA pieces ?f human tissue fr?m th? dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ), wh?r? th? dermis – th? outer layer ?f skin – connects t? th? epidermis – th? layer ?f tissue ???t below th? skin’s surface.  Th? team discovered th?t th??? CD8aa+ T-cells ?r? located ?n th? DEJ ?n? ?r? responsible f?r controlling HSV-2 – implying th?t herpes reactivation ?? controlled ?n th? skin, n?t th? spine.

N?t ?n?? ??? th? research team m?k? th?? significant discovery ?b??t th? T-cells’ location, th?? ???? found th?t th? CD8aa+ T-cells ?r? programmed t? remain ?n th? skin surrounding th? genitals ?t ??? times – m?k?ng th?m resident memory T-cells.  Th? cells’ long-term persistence m?? ??????n wh? patients h??? asymptomatic recurrences ?f genital herpes, b?????? th? cells ?r? constantly doing “immune surveillance” – always working t? find ?n? ???tr?? HSV-2.

“Th? real implication here ?? th?t th? way herpes seems t? act ?? th?t th? virus ?? actually reactivating very frequently,” Corey ????.  “Th? human immune response ?? containing ?t m??t ?f th? time.”

Researchers h?? originally estimated th?t herpes reactivated once a month, b?t th? discovery ?f th??? ???r-present T-cells led Corey ?n? h?? team t? believe th? virus actually reactivates once a week ?r ???r? few days.  S? wh?n herpes lesions occur, ?t ?? b?????? th?r? w?r? n?t enough CD8aa+ T-cells t? suppress th? outbreak, Corey ????.

CD8aa+ T-cells w?r? previously known t? exist ?n th? gut mucosa, b?t m??t ?f th? research ?n CD8+ T-cells focused ?n studying th?m ?n blood circulation.  Corey ?n? h?? team w?r? th? first t? find th? phenotype ?f CD8aa+ T-cells t? persist ?n th? skin.  H? ???? th?t a potential herpes vaccine w???? focus ?n increasing th??? cells ?n th? immune system.

“It gives ?? a marker b? wh??h one ??n test vaccines,” Corey ????.  “A vaccine th?t w??? increase th? number ?r function ?f th??? cells w???? b? one ??? w???? want t? develop.  I don’t th?nk th?r? w???? b? ?n? side effects.”

Th? vaccine ????? potentially ?t?? individuals fr?m experiencing outbreaks – th? times wh?n a person ?? m??t contagious.  Generally, a person ??n ?n?? contract HSV-2 infections during sexual intercourse w?th ?n infected individual; h?w???r, transmission ??n still occur wh?n th? infected individual ???? n?t h??? a visible sore.

According t? th? Centers f?r Disease Control ?n? Prevention, 776,000 people ?n th? United States ?r? infected w?th herpes each year, ?n? one out ?f six people between th? ages ?f 14 ?n? 49 h??? genital HSV-2 infection. Wh??? th?? vaccine w???? n?t cure those ?f HSV-2, ?t ????? ultimately h??? ?t?? th? spread ?f th?? very prevalent STI.

“W? th?nk ?t’s possible t? contain,” Corey ????.  “It’s a ‘clinical cure.’”

Th? research ?? published ?n th? M?? 8 advance online edition ?f Nature.