Non-randomized study finds somewhat more potent reduction of virus in leucocytes over several months of treatment.
Failure to detect iciHHV-6 leads to overtreatment in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients
Mistaking iciHHV-6 for a marked reactivation of naturally-acquired infection can lead to unnecessary diagnostic procedures and treatments, with adverse effects.
Foscarnet prophylaxis improved engraftment and survival in cord blood transplant patients
Six-month overall survival was 96% in the treated group compared to 72% in the untreated group.
Oral brincidofovir prophylaxis for CMV decreased incidence of HHV-6B viremia
Allogenic transplant patients who received prophylactic oral brincidofovir as part of a CMV trial had a reduced HHV-6B reactivation and lower viral loads.
Mori lab identifies a vaccine and immunotherapy target for HHV6-B
Rational vaccine design requires understanding details of protective immunity against each virus. Yasuko Mori and associates from Japan have now identified CD4+ and H-2Kd restricted CD8+ T-cell epitopes essential for HHV-6B viral entry, opening new possibilities for vaccines and immunotherapy.
Breakthrough on therapeutic HHV-6B neutralizing antibodies
Yasuko Mori and colleagues were successful in humanizing two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to HHV-6B. The chimeric antibodies performed well enough to show promise for therapeutic use.
Foscarnet approved for HHV-6 encephalitis in Japan
Although foscarnet is widely used for HHV-6 encephalitis, it has never been specifically approved for HHV-6. Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was the first to approve foscarnet (Foscavir) for the treatment of HHV-6 encephalitis.
Foscarnet prophylaxis reduces severity but does not prevent HHV-6 encephalitis
A Japanese trial of foscarnet prophylaxis in cord blood transplant patients was successful in reducing severity and mortality as well as suppressing high viral loads, but it failed to prevent encephalitis. The authors note that the blood brain barrier must be inflamed to allow effective penetration of the drug into the central nervous system and speculate that the prophylaxis may have protected the meninges.
Low dose emetine shows promise as a herpesvirus antiviral
Investigators at Johns Hopkins have determined that emetine, an older drug used to treat dysentery as well as to induce vomiting, is also effective against cytomegalovirus (CMV/HHV-5). Not only was emetine effective at an extremely low dose, it demonstrated a synergistic effect when combined with ganciclovir in a mouse model of CMV infection and it worked at a much earlier stage of viral replication than the drugs currently in use.
Genome editing to clear latent herpesvirus infection
A group from the University Medical Center in the Netherlands has shown that new gene editing technology can be used to impair viral replication and clear latent herpesvirus infections. The group used a CRISPR-Cas system to target viral genetic elements that completely eliminated CMV and HSV1 replication. They were also able to clear latent EBV from transformed human tumor cells.
Chimerix “SUPPRESS” trial to be largest ever for HHV-6 treatment
Chimerix “SUPPRESS” trial to be largest study ever conducted for treatment of HHV-6 infection
New broad-spectrum antiherpesvirus agents identified
A set of novel compounds synthesized by Microbiotix, Inc. have shown increased activity against a broad spectrum of human herpesviruses, including HHV-6.
CMX001 shows strong in-vitro activity against HHV-6
Data from a recent report may increasingly argue in favor of using the antiviral known as CMX001 for treatment of HHV-6 infection.