The herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), often associated with blisters and sores, has been found to cause more severe symptoms when it reaches the eye or nervous system. Recent research conducted at the University of Illinois Chicago has revealed that the HSV-1 virus can lead to anxiety, motor skill impairment, and cognitive issues when contracted through the nose. This crucial finding underscores the importance of prevention and treatment of HSV-1, a virus that affects billions of people globally.
The study, led by Professor Deepak Shukla, was published in mBio. Shukla’s research group from the College of Medicine had previously explored how the HSV-1 virus can cause blindness, encephalitis, and other conditions when it reaches the eye and brain. The new research shifts the focus to the effects of intranasal infection, where the virus enters the body through the nose, gaining direct access to the nervous system.
The study highlights the potential severity of HSV-1 reaching the brain via the nasal cavity. Shukla believes that this intranasal infection route is understudied and underdiagnosed, despite the severe neurological consequences it can bring, which are much worse than those seen with fever blisters or ocular infection.
The study’s findings were based on animal experiments, which showed that HSV-1 infection led to high inflammation and neurological damage just days after infection. Long-term, the infected animals exhibited poor motor coordination, memory issues, and heightened anxiety-like behavior.
In their research, Shukla’s team also explored the role of heparanase, a cellular enzyme. They had previously studied this enzyme for its involvement in HSV-1 reinfection and long-term effects. The research indicated that animals with a deactivated heparanase gene did not exhibit the same neurobehavioral deficits post-infection as control animals. This points to the enzyme playing a crucial role in mediating the virus’ damaging effects on the brain.
Hemant Borase, a UIC postdoctoral researcher and the study’s first author, believes these findings could pave the way for potential therapeutic approaches to mitigate neuroinflammation and prevent long-term brain injury caused by viral infections.
HSV-1 is a widespread virus, with nearly two-thirds of the global population estimated to carry it, according to the World Health Organization. Chandrashekhar Patil, research assistant professor in the College of Medicine and co-author of the paper, emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the lifelong nature of this infection and its potential severe effects.
The research was also co-authored by Tibor Valyi-Nagy, professor of pathology, and was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
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