Skip Navigation

Technology Development

Office of Research

Office of Research

Small RNAs inhibitiing herpes simplex virus type 1 productive infection

Disclosure #: KSS1002
Description: Two recently discovered small RNAs may have value as novel herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) therapeutics in the exciting new field of RNA interference. A large market exists for these types of therapeutics given that an estimated 80-90% of the population is latently infected. Initial experimental data in mouse and rabbit cells has shown significant inhibition of HSV-1 replication, suggesting that these RNAs would be excellent targets for further development.
Advantage(s):
  • Shown to inhibit productive infection 1000-fold in rabbit skin cells and 40-fold in mouse neuroblastoma cells, making these good candidates for development of the first and only HSV-1 RNAi therapeutics
  • Resistance development by HSV-1 may be less probable when utilizing RNAi-based therapies, creating higher value as patients will be less likely to change drugs
Application(s):
  • Development of topical treatments inhibiting genital, orofacial, and ocular herpes
  • Research use to study HSV-1 interactions in the host
Publication(s): Peng, Weiping, Vitvitskaia, Olga, Carpenter, Dale, Wechsler, Steven L. and Jones, Clinton (2008) Identification of two small RNAs within the first 1.5-kb of the herpes simplex virus type 1-encoded latency-associated transcript, Journal of Neurovirology, 14:1, 41‒52
Licensing Manager: Dr. Nicholas Aliano
naliano@nutechventures.org
(402) 472-3680
Inventor(s): Dr. Clinton Jones
Technology Brief: KSS1002 Marketing Brief - Jones - HSV-1 Small RNAs.pdf


Back