Grant: Evaluation of the Antiviral Activity of Glycyrrhizic Acid (“GA”) on Herpesvirus 6

PI: Francesca Curreli, PhD, NYU School of Medicine, USA

Dr. Francesca Curreli, a research scientist in the Microbiology Department at the NYU School of Medicine, is evaluating the effect of GA on HHV-6 latent infection. This is a major step toward understanding HHV-6 pathogenesis as there is currently little information regarding the latency of HHV-6. Current antiviral agents clinically used against HHV-6 are the same as those used in the treatment of CMV. These drugs target viral DNA polymerase but are ineffective against latent herpesvirus infections. Several studies have demonstrated that Glycyrrhizic Acid has an antiviral effect, and was recently shown to alter the latency of HHV-8. The study will also aim to investigate the effect of GA on the lytic reactivation of latent HHV-6. In previous studies, GA has exhibited the ability to reduce the infectivity of virus, reduce the quantity of virions, and inactivate mature infectious virus particles. Finally, the study will investigate whether GA can prohibit HHV-6 from activating latent HHV-8 and repeat the observation that HHV-6 activates HHV-8 from latency.

To date, Dr. Currelli has successfully obtained HHV-6 infected HSB2 cells and HHV-6 latently infected HSB-M cells. The HSB2 cells treated with doses of GA ranging from 1-4mM died within 6 days, thus showing GA treatment to be effective. The HSB-M cells were less sensitive to GA treatment as cell death occurred after 4 days with treatment of a minimum of 3mM treatment.

back to Research Funded