Grant: Operating Grant

Clinical manifestations of the herpes family of viruses vary from cold sores and genital herpes to severe conditions such as blindness, cancer, infections of newborns and potentiating HIV. Although treatments exist, these viruses persist forever in humans once contracted. Moreover, they can be reactivated under certain conditions and even people without symptoms can shed infectious viruses. In an attempt to better understand how herpesviruses propagate, our laboratory examines their intimate interactions with cells, the building blocks of our body. We focus on one member of the family called Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), a virus that is present in nearly 90% of the population. More precisely, we study the mechanism by which the newly replicated virus is transported from its site of assembly in the cell to the cell surface, where it can infect neighbouring cells and individuals. It is hoped that this will lead to novel therapeutic approaches not only against this virus but against the entire herpes family of viruses.