As a feature of CNNhealth.com, our team of expert doctors will answer readers' questions. Here's a question for Dr. Gupta.
From Lloyd Bartley, Bowling Green, Kentucky
“How close are scientists to developing a cure for herpes, figuratively speaking will we be seeing a break through in 10, 20, or even 30 years?”
Answer:
Well, Lloyd, there is good news and bad news on the herpes front. The good news: Researchers have made serious strides and now better understand the mechanism behind herpes outbreaks. The bad news: There is very little funding for that research.
After receiving your question we reached out to a leading herpes expert, Bryan Cullen, the director at the Center for Virology at Duke University. Cullen is hopeful that a cure for herpes could come within 10 years, once funding hurdles are crossed.
Nearly one in five people over age 12 in the U.S. is affected by herpes. It is caused by a virus - either the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Both strains can cause genital herpes, but HSV-1 usually infects the mouth and produces cold sores.
Despite funding challenges, Cullen and his team are inching closer to a cure. They conducted a study recently that identified the pathway herpes takes as it infects. They now know how herpes embeds itself into the cells and how it eludes treatment. Now that they have honed in on the physiology of the disease - and its triggers - researchers believe they are steps closer to creating drugs that could cure herpes.
While we wait for a cure, there are drugs out there that can at least suppress herpes. Three antiviral drugs: acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir are commonly recommended to quell outbreaks. A physician might recommend taking these drugs when an outbreak occurs to quiet symptoms; or taking them continuously to reduce the likelihood of an outbreak.
And of course the best way to avoid spreading herpes is to abstain from sex, but if you are sexually active, engage in safe-sex practices such as using condoms.
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这篇文章是去年的美国最有权威的美国新闻网络cnn电视台的采访报道。 有病人问在美国五分之一12岁以上的人口中就有一个疱疹患者的情况下， 治愈需要等多少年。
杜克大学最有权威的教授就是我们这的病友coolen提及的cullen教授， 他是疱疹专家， 他说好消息是现在美国已经清楚了解了疱疹的形成机制以及为何药物无法杀死他的原因， 而且知道了是什么引起的复发。 这是具有突破性的非常有意义的。 但坏消息是没有资金了， 实验无法进行下去， 需要资金！！！
如果一切顺利， 在十年之内疱疹病毒就是完全可以治愈！！！！！！！！！！！！！！！
我们这里有没有哪一位能够通中央， 或哪个非常有实力的对药物开发有兴趣的资本家， 能够资助一下这个实验。
如果一切成真， 我们十年之内全部是健康人。
大家一定要多多保重， 坚持到底！！！
这是上帝的福音， 这是上帝送给我们最好的礼物
感谢上帝！！！！！！！！！！！！
阿门
