The secret work of herpes in sight

2006/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biokimika
• Osasuna
• Medikuntza

The most common virus that produces herpes, mononucleosis, and other similar infections is HSV-1. This virus lasts years waiting for a good chance to appear in the nerve cells of the body, such as the cold. When it is in the cell it has a gene called LAT to avoid apoptosis (cell suicide). Since the discovery of this gene the researchers have sought the corresponding protein, but by the wrong way. And it does not encode a protein, but a short string of RNA. Knowing this, a fight treatment against the virus will be sought before it is revealed.