这篇文章太专业， 不过是个非常好的消息。
懂生物工程的人才能否帮助解释一下， 迷糊读起来非常困难， 也不是太明白里边的专业术语。
大概说的就是科学家发现了生殖器疱疹的新的组成成分及复发成因， 此新发现将最终导致疱疹2型的最终治愈。
今年是个疱疹科学研究大跃进年!!
主保佑
迷糊
June 23, 2011
Identity of zinc finger nucleases with specificity to Herpes simplex virus type II genomic DNA: novel HSV-2 vaccine/ therapy precursors
Herpes simplex type II (HSV-2) is a member of the family herpesviridae. Human infection with this double stranded linear DNA virus causes genital ulcerative disease and existing treatment options only serve to resolve the symptomatology (ulcers) associated with active HSV-2 infection but do not eliminate latent virus.
As a result, infection with HSV-2 follows a life-long relapsing (active versus latent) course. On the basis of a primitive bacterium anti-phage DNA defense, the restriction modification (R-M) system, we previously identified the Escherichia coli restriction enzyme (REase) EcoRII as a novel peptide to excise or irreversibly disrupt latent HSV-2 DNA from infected cells.
However, sequences of the site specificity palindrome of EcoRII 5'-CCWGG-3'(W =A or T) are equally present within the human genome and are a potential source of host-genome toxicity. This feature has limited previous HSV-2 EcoRII based therapeutic models to microbicides only, and highlights the need to engineer artificial REases (zinc finger nucleases-ZFNs) with specificity to HSV-2 genomic-DNA only.
Herein, the therapeutic-potential of zinc finger arrays (ZFAs) and ZFNs is identified and modeled, with unique specificity to the HSV-2 genome.Methods and results: Using the whole genome of HSV-2 strain HG52 (Dolan A et al .,), and with the ZFN-consortium's CoDA-ZiFiT software pre-set at default, more than 28,000 ZFAs with specificity to HSV-2 DNA were identified. Using computational assembly (through in-silico linkage to the Flavobacterium okeanokoites endonuclease Fok I of the type IIS class), 684 ZFNs with specificity to the HSV-2 genome, were constructed.
Graphic-analysis of the HSV-2 genome-cleavage pattern using the afore-identified ZFNs revealed that the highest cleavage-incidence occurred within the 30,950 base-pairs (~between the genomic context coordinates 0.80 and 1.00) at the 3'end of the HSV-2 genome. At approximately 3,095 bp before and after the 5'and 3'ends of the HSV-2 genome (genomic context coordinates 0.02 and 0.98, respectively) were specificity sites of ZFNs suited for the complete excision of over 60% of HSV-2 genomic material from within infected human cells, through the process of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ).
Furthermore, a model concerning a recombinant (ICP10-PK mutant) replication competent HSV-2 viral vector for delivering and transducing a diploid copy (or pair) of the HSV-2-genome-specific ZFN genotype within neuronal tissue, is presented.
Conclusion: ZFNs with specificity to HSV-2 genomic DNA that are precursors of novel host-genome expressed HSV-2 gene-therapeutics or vaccines were identified.
Author: Misaki Wayengera
Credits/Source: Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling 2011, 8:23 Reply With Quote .
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Yesterday 06:06 PM #2 SweetSerenity
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Basically, they can use Zinc Finger Technology to knock out the genes of HSV-2 inside the neurons. That could lead to a cure. It's similar to Cellectics Meganucleases where these enzymes cut the HSV genes in a specific place and the virus just disinigrates. I thought it might be possible to use ZFT but I didn't know it could reach into the neurons. They are already using this technique on HIV and it is in clinical trials now. It seems that even though the technology is there, it's slow progress. I hope that changes in the future. Reply With Quote .
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Yesterday 07:52 PM #4 SweetSerenity
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Thanks for the English Sweet! Do you think if they use the zinc approch in a different way on HIV and it had a better affect that this process would go faster? Reply With Quote .
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Yesterday 09:25 PM #5 Rational Response
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Posts:19 Zinc Finger Technology
Zinc Finger Technology - have they started or will they go into clinical trials with herpes in the future? Reply With Quote .
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Today 08:00 AM #6 accelerate the response
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Full article is here:
http://www.tbiomed.com/content/pdf/1742-4682-8-23.pdfGood News: claim made is that, due to the high specificity of the ZFN to the HSV2 genome, the potential for accidental alteration of other areas of human DNA is non-existent. Disruption of over 60% of the infected cell's DNA would represent cure as the elements disrupted are vital to viral replication. Viral vector using replication defective HSV vector would deliver ZFN to spinal ganglia.
Bad News: no pre-clinical testing yet achieved and so perhaps a decade of more to end of phase three trials...
The link between HSV infection and subsequent enhanced liability to HIV infection is so clear cut that it amazes me more urgency is not shown towards ending HSV infectivity.
