There are HSV-2 vaccines in clinical trials [2], but I'm unaware of any HSV-1 vaccines as far along. Please chime in if you are aware!
[1] https://www.nccc-online.org/hpvcervical-cancer/cervical-canc...
There are a low of assumptions here: (1) Organoid tissue represents human-brain. Human (and mammalian) brain is a much more complex entity to be even remotely similar to this. (2) We do not know how amyloid-beta plaques are related to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) i.e. whether they are the cause of AD or a symptom that occurs when one has AD. All we know is the existence of these plauqes can occur before the symptoms of AD are seen (even upto 30 years before you are diagnoised with AD). Whether removal of plaques makes you AD free is a mystery. (3) HSV/Herpes virus might not be the only cause of formation of amyloid plauqes. There are tons of other microbial infections that have been shown to cause increase of plaques.
But more research into the microbial theory of AD is definitely something that would shed more light on the interplay between microbes and the brain.
> We believe that HSV1 is a major contributory factor for Alzheimer’s disease and that it enters the brains of elderly people as their immune system declines with age. It then establishes a latent (dormant) infection, from which it is reactivated by events such as stress, a reduced immune system and brain inflammation induced by infection by other microbes.
> Excitingly, successful prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by use of specific anti-herpes agents has now been demonstrated in a large-scale population study in Taiwan. Hopefully, information in other countries, if available, will yield similar results.
https://theconversation.com/alzheimers-disease-mounting-evid... (Alzheimer’s disease: mounting evidence that herpes virus is a cause)
The author of the post is Ruth Itzhaki, Professor Emeritus of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Manchester
This (in my opinion) would lead a reasonable person to believe that an HSV-1 vaccine would prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s (through the prevention of an HSV-1 infection), in a similar fashion to how the HPV vaccine prevents (among other cancers) cervical cancer. I hope you have found some value in this subthread.
As a side note, the HPV vaccine only protects against strains 16 and 18 (with some also providing protection against types 6 and 11). That covers the majority of the strains that cause cancer, but it certainly doesn't prevent HPV infections altogether. Remember that HPV is the same virus that causes common and plantar warts as well. A Wikipedia quote: "Most people acquire genital HPV infections at some point in their lives, and about 10% of women are currently infected.[25] A large increase in the incidence of genital HPV infection occurs at the age when individuals begin to engage in sexual activity. As with cutaneous HPVs, immunity to genital HPV is believed to be specific to a specific strain of HPV."[1]
I don't think it's possible to get rid of either virus very easily, although vaccines that target the most dangerous types are a good defense.
[0] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db304.htm [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_papillomavirus_infection
True, it'd be similar to Australia where their cervical cancer rates will decline over decades as older people die and for younger people [1], the HPV vaccine uptake rate was very high. Folks with HSV-1 are likely stuck with it for life unless CRISPR comes to the rescue.
> As a side note, the HPV vaccine only protects against strains 16 and 18 (with some also providing protection against types 6 and 11). That covers the majority of the strains that cause cancer, but it certainly doesn't prevent HPV infections altogether. Remember that HPV is the same virus that causes common and plantar warts as well.
"GARDASIL 9 is a vaccine indicated in females and males 9 through 45 years of age for the prevention of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) Types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58; precancerous or dysplastic lesions caused by HPV Types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58; and genital warts caused by HPV Types 6 and 11."
https://www.merckvaccines.com/gardasil9/
Disclaimer: I'm a male in my mid 30s who has had Gardasil 9 administered by a medical professional.
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/03/australia-on... (The Guardian: "Australia on track to wipe out cervical cancer within 20 years" [2018])
Thanks for correcting me!
This has correlation to lesser the outbreaks or make them stop altogether. I can attest to that.
This is what some specialist doctors recommend for patient with bad herpes outbreaks.
I guess this would be already good starting point.
Example source (pdf): https://proceedings.med.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/...
How long has it been since you had the zoster vaccine?
Were you of an on-label age for the zoster vaccine at receipt or was it off-label usage? Put another way did you receive Varivax or Zostavax dosing and were you in the on-label group (1-50 for Varivax and 50+ for Zostavax)?
The data isn't great but there's a fair bit of anecdata as you report and in your link that suggests there might be some protection against HSV from the VZV vaccines, possibly based on genetics or age of recipients.
Also your link was broken for me but the below might work.
https://proceedings.med.ucla.edu/index.php/2016/03/10/varice...
I'm under 30. This recommendation came from doctor who specializes in herpes. She did warn me it might not work, but she has seen overall good results -outbreaks are less severe, rarer, or dissapear altogether.
I think it's been around five years.
There was a paper also on that, but couldn't find.
Why I'm sharing this information usually, because there are people out for who herpes is not annoyance but life disrupting virus. They often do not even know that there are antiviral drugs out there that work really well. They do think that there isn't much to do other than to suffer because when they were young or had bad doctor who said "oh everyone has it". My hope is maybe some people might go back to their doctor and say "please, it's disrupts my life" and they get appropriate treatment.