Herpes
vaccine research aims for prevention
By Mari Shinkai
Summer Online Forty-Niner
Cal
State Long Beach has recently been chosen
as one of three Los Angeles sites, for a
nationwide research study of a new vaccine
against herpes.
More than 25 percent of the U.S. population
has genital herpes, possibly raising annual
associated costs from $1.8 billion to $2.7
billion, according to the Washington Times.
The study, conducted by Harbor-UCLA Medical
Center for Vaccine Research, shows a 30
percent increase in the number of herpes
cases since the 1970s, with the largest
increases seen among teens.
“The incidence of herpes continues to rise,
and it is now twice as common in young adults,
20 to 29 years of age, than it was 20 years
ago,” said Michael N. Carbuto, chief physician
of Student Health Services and principal
investigator for the CSULB study site for
the herpes vaccine research study.
“Many people do not know that they have
the virus, and can pass it on to others
unknowingly. The problem is that there is
no cure available for herpes,” he said.
Herpes sets up a life-long presence in the
body. The virus can travel the nerve pathways
in a particular part of the body and hide
away in the nerve roots for long periods
of time.
Furthermore, a genital herpes infection
often manifests itself in subtle symptoms,
but it can be a devastating illness in newborns
and has also been identified as a risk factor
for the spread of HIV/AIDS in adults.
However, the study of the new vaccine may
change the projections of herpes.
The current herpes vaccine research study
started in March 2003 and is expected to
continue for the next 4 years. The study
is the next step in the evaluation of the
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals herpes vaccine.
Prior studies of this vaccine showed that,
according to Carbuto, “it was generally
well tolerated and that the vaccine was
effective in preventing genital herpes disease
in women who were previously negative for
herpes type 1 [HSV-1 which appears as a
sore on the lip] and type2 [HSV-2].”
The earlier studies show that approximately
73 percent of women who were free of HSV-1
and HSV-2 infection at the beginning of
the trials and who received the vaccine
were protected against genital herpes.
The Los Angeles study sites are currently
seeking women resident in the United States,
age 18 to 30, who are negative for both
HSV-1 and HSV-2. The three Los Angeles sites,
CSULB, Cal State Dominguez Hills and UCLA,
expect to enroll about 350 to 500 eligible
women over the next 18 months.
It is possible that the herpes vaccine may
be one of the first vaccines available to
prevent sexually transmitted diseases, and
“may lead the way for development of other
vaccines.”
“Although the vaccine may be recommended
for women, the overall impact of decreasing
herpes disease would be important for both
genders,” Carbuto said. “This study is an
important step because this [herpes] is
lifetime illness.”
For participation information, call (562)
985-4874 or visit the Student Health Center.
|
