Forum for Science, Industry and Business

Slide Projector Kills Herpes Simplex Virus

A lot of people suffer from herpes for all their lives. The herpes simplex virus (Type 1) constantly inhabits the organism revealing its presence from time to time. Once highly active anti- herpes drugs were developed (acyclovir and phosofonoacetic acids), the virus responded with new forms resistant to theses drugs. The Belorus researchers from the State Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health, Republic of Belorus, and the Institute of Photobiology, National Academy of Sciences of Belorus, have suggested to fight these mutant viruses by the photodynamic inhibition method.

The method is based on the photosensitive reactions, which take place in biological systems. Researchers all over the world are actively developing new methods based on these reactions to cure various diseases. The essence of the method is that photosensitizer substances interact with the sick cells or infection pathogene. The above substances get destroyed under the influence of the visible light and form free radicals, including active forms of oxygen, which easily oxidize proteins, lipids and other biologically important molecules. Photosensitizers are of different types, but the Minsk researchers have chosen merocyanins, which bundle with diverse viral shells including the herpes simplex virus (Type 1).

The experiments were carried out with the cell culture of the kidney of the African green talapoin (Cercopithecus aethiops), infected by the herpes simplex virus (Type 1). Consequences of infection can be noticed already in 4-5 hours: the cells start to divide intensely, they merge with each other, foreign impurities appear in them, besides there are other typical indications perfectly visible through a microscope. Within 48-56 hours, the cells take the shape of a ball, flake away from the walls of a flask where they were grown up and all of them get killed. It was decided to annihilate the infected cells.

Sergey Komarov | alfa
Further information:
http://www.informnauka.ru

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