Treating and Preventing Herpes and Hepatitis Viral Infections

SLU ID 15-017 | Inhibitors of Nucleotidyl Transferases

Background

Herpesviruses are a diverse group of enveloped viruses. All herpesviruses are able to establish latency in host cells, which causes the host to maintain the infection for life. Periodic reactivation from latency causes recurrent disease and provides the opportunity for transmission to uninfected individuals. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a cause of viral hepatitis infection. Most cases of HSV hepatitis are aggressive in nature and rapidly progress to fulminant hepatic failure. Research into a variety of other side effects or co-conditions related to herpesviruses is ongoing. These include, but are not limited to, Alzheimer's disease, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, multiple scleroris, lupus, pancreatic cancer, pancreatitis, and Type II diabetes.

Overview

Researchers at Saint Louis University have developed a series of alpha hydroxylated tropolone compounds that inhibit the replication of herpesvirus. These compounds target various human viruses including, but not limited to, herpes simpex virus 1, herpes simplex virus 2, Varicella Zoster virus, human cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpervirus 6, human herpesvirus 7, and Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus. They also target several animal herpesvirus including, but not limited to, pseudorabies virus, Marek's disease virus, bovine herpesvirus, equine herpesvirus, and salmonid herpesvirus.

Benefits

The potential benefits of this technology include:

• Increasing the efficacy of treatments

• Minimizing the toxicity of treatments

• Minimizing the development of antiviral resistance

• Minimizing the severity of virus reactivation

• Minimizing the frequency of virus reactivation

• Minimizing the number of new herpesvirus infections

Applications

The potential applications of this technology include:

• Prophylactic prevention of infection

• Therapeutic inhibition of replication of herpesvirus in the context of primary infection or reactivation from latency

• Prevention of primary infection or treatment of infections with viral strains that are resistant to known anti-herpesvirus drugs

Opportunity

Saint Louis University is seeking a partner to further develop and commercialize this technology.