Scientists are currently exploring the possibility of a vaccine to cure herpes, despite eight decades of effort. It will still be a long time before these experiments lead to the first human trials of gene therapy to cure herpes, with Jerome estimating at least three years. I have had herpes for as long as I can remember, and it is likely that I contracted the virus when I was a small child. Over the years, I have tried all the available home remedies, topical creams and ointments, and antiviral medications, but unfortunately, there is no cure for herpes, only options to limit or prevent outbreaks and manage herpes symptoms. Despite this, there are many resources available to those living with herpes, including support groups and herpes dating websites. However, a new vaccine on the horizon could change the rules of the game.
In close, monogamous relationships, transmission risks can be weighed against other relationship problems, such as intimacy and pregnancy. While there is no cure for herpes, the severity of the virus varies over the lifespan of an infected person. According to the World Health Organization, two-thirds of the world's population under 50 are carriers of HSV-1, which mainly causes cold sores, while 491 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 are infected with HSV-2, which is the cause of sexually transmitted genital herpes. Recent advances in herpes cure research have been largely due to improvements in gene-editing tools.
Keith Jerome has been exploring the idea that lifelong herpes virus infections could be cured by using gene therapy tools to cut DNA. The search for a cure for herpes has been ongoing for eight decades now, and while progress has been made in recent years due to gene-editing tools, it will still be a long time before we see any human trials of gene therapy to cure herpes. In the meantime, those living with herpes can take steps to limit or prevent outbreaks.
