Stress would wake up the sleeping virusherpes, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal PLOS Pathogens.
Herpes is an infection caused by two types of viruses, both of which are very contagious. Cold sores are linked to the Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). It is transmitted mainly through contact with the mucous membranes of the mouth and causes cold sores.
Genital herpes is caused by the Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Incurable this virus is caught for the whole of its life. It is often asymptomatic and only detectable by a blood test.
Stress risk factor for herpes
Researchers at the University of Helsinki (Finland) sought to understand the mechanisms of herpes activation. Scientists have observed a direct link between the cellular stress response, cell cycle regulation and the reactivation of the virus.herpes.
Using advanced microscopy and genetic manipulation technologies, scientists have detected a wide variety of chemical compounds that cause a set of cellular stress-sensing proteins to activate that would reactivate the herpes virus.
“The removal of the famous cell stress sensor proteins restores cell division in cells and reduces the expression of the viral gene. This suggests that the replication of the virus depends on the inhibition of cell division, ”explains the researchers.
A virus that affects the whole world
The figures from the World Health Organization speak for themselves. This disease infects the whole world. More than 3.7 billion people under the age of 50, or 67% of the population, are infected with the herpes virus type 1 (HSV-1). 140 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 have already had cold sores, according to WHO figures.
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