Ecology

Biology

Virology

HSL and HSV

Immunology

Asymptomatic

Repurposing

Herpes simplex virus

Encephalitis

Medicine

Virus

Disease

Pathogenesis

Pathology

Current Opinion in Pharmacology

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is a ubiquitous DNA virus able to establish a life-long latent infection in host sensory ganglia. Following periodic reactivations, the neovirions usually target the site of primary infection causing recurrent diseases in susceptible individuals. However, reactivated HSV-1 may also reach the brain resulting in severe herpetic encephalitis or in asymptomatic infections. These have been reportedly linked to neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting antiviral preventive or/therapeutic treatments as possible strategies to counteract AD onset and progression. Here, we provide an overview of the AD-like mechanisms driven by HSV-1-infection in neurons and discuss the ongoing trials repurposing anti-herpetic drugs to treat AD as well as preventive strategies aimed at blocking virus infection.

Role of HSV-1 in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis: A challenge for novel preventive/therapeutic strategies