Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Sexually Transmitted Infections logoLink to Sexually Transmitted Infections
. 1998 Dec;74(6):391–394. doi: 10.1136/sti.74.6.391

Control of STDs--the role of prophylactic vaccines against herpes simplex virus

L R Stanberry
PMCID: PMC1758161  PMID: 10195045

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To summarise the current status of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) vaccine development and provide a discussion of the potential benefits and limitations of genital herpes vaccines. METHODS: Literature review. RESULTS: Genital herpes simplex virus infection has a complex pathogenesis that has contributed to it becoming a serious worldwide problem. In an attempt to control the problem five different types of genital herpes vaccines have been developed. These include inactivated virion derived vaccines, adjuvanted subunit vaccines, vectored vaccines, replication limited live viral vaccines, genetically attenuated live viral vaccines, and nucleic acid vaccines. While available commercially in some parts of the world, inactivated virion derived vaccines have not been proved effective. Of the others, adjuvanted subunit vaccines, replication limited live viral vaccines, and nucleic acid vaccines are currently in clinical trials and vectored vaccines and genetically attenuated live viral vaccines are in preclinical development. CONCLUSION: With regard to HSV vaccines in general, it is reasonable to expect that the newer vaccines may protect the individual from developing symptomatic genital herpes but may not protect against asymptomatic viral infection. With widespread use HSV vaccines might help to prevent the spread of genital herpes. 






Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (62.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bourne N., Milligan G. N., Schleiss M. R., Bernstein D. I., Stanberry L. R. DNA immunization confers protective immunity on mice challenged intravaginally with herpes simplex virus type 2. Vaccine. 1996 Sep;14(13):1230–1234. doi: 10.1016/s0264-410x(96)00027-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bourne N., Stanberry L. R., Bernstein D. I., Lew D. DNA immunization against experimental genital herpes simplex virus infection. J Infect Dis. 1996 Apr;173(4):800–807. doi: 10.1093/infdis/173.4.800. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Boursnell M. E., Entwisle C., Blakeley D., Roberts C., Duncan I. A., Chisholm S. E., Martin G. M., Jennings R., Ni Challanaín D., Sobek I. A genetically inactivated herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) vaccine provides effective protection against primary and recurrent HSV-2 disease. J Infect Dis. 1997 Jan;175(1):16–25. doi: 10.1093/infdis/175.1.16. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brugha R., Keersmaekers K., Renton A., Meheus A. Genital herpes infection: a review. Int J Epidemiol. 1997 Aug;26(4):698–709. doi: 10.1093/ije/26.4.698. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burke R. L. Contemporary approaches to vaccination against herpes simplex virus. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1992;179:137–158. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-77247-4_9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cappel R., Sprecher S., Rickaert F., de Cuyper F. Immune response to a DNA free herpes simplex vaccine in man. Arch Virol. 1982;73(1):61–67. doi: 10.1007/BF01341728. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chabalgoity J. A., Khan C. M., Nash A. A., Hormaeche C. E. A Salmonella typhimurium htrA live vaccine expressing multiple copies of a peptide comprising amino acids 8-23 of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D as a genetic fusion to tetanus toxin fragment C protects mice from herpes simplex virus infection. Mol Microbiol. 1996 Feb;19(4):791–801. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.1996.426965.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Da Costa X. J., Bourne N., Stanberry L. R., Knipe D. M. Construction and characterization of a replication-defective herpes simplex virus 2 ICP8 mutant strain and its use in immunization studies in a guinea pig model of genital disease. Virology. 1997 May 26;232(1):1–12. doi: 10.1006/viro.1997.8564. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Erturk M., Phillpotts R. J., Welch M. J., Jennings R. Efficacy of HSV-1 ISCOM vaccine in the guinea-pig model of HSV-2 infection. Vaccine. 1991 Oct;9(10):728–734. doi: 10.1016/0264-410x(91)90288-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Farrell H. E., McLean C. S., Harley C., Efstathiou S., Inglis S., Minson A. C. Vaccine potential of a herpes simplex virus type 1 mutant with an essential glycoprotein deleted. J Virol. 1994 Feb;68(2):927–932. doi: 10.1128/jvi.68.2.927-932.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fleck M., Podlech J., Weise K., Falke D. A vaccinia virus--herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein B1 recombinant or an HSV vaccine overcome the HSV type 2 induced humoral immunosuppression and protect against vaginal challenge in BALB/c mice. Med Microbiol Immunol. 1994 May;183(2):87–94. doi: 10.1007/BF00277159. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fleming D. T., McQuillan G. M., Johnson R. E., Nahmias A. J., Aral S. O., Lee F. K., St Louis M. E. Herpes simplex virus type 2 in the United States, 1976 to 1994. N Engl J Med. 1997 Oct 16;337(16):1105–1111. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199710163371601. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gallichan W. S., Johnson D. C., Graham F. L., Rosenthal K. L. Mucosal immunity and protection after intranasal immunization with recombinant adenovirus expressing herpes simplex virus glycoprotein B. J Infect Dis. 1993 Sep;168(3):622–629. doi: 10.1093/infdis/168.3.622. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gallichan W. S., Rosenthal K. L. Long-term immunity and protection against herpes simplex virus type 2 in the murine female genital tract after mucosal but not systemic immunization. J Infect Dis. 1998 May;177(5):1155–1161. doi: 10.1086/515286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Heineman T. C., Connelly B. L., Bourne N., Stanberry L. R., Cohen J. Immunization with recombinant varicella-zoster virus expressing herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein D reduces the severity of genital herpes in guinea pigs. J Virol. 1995 Dec;69(12):8109–8113. doi: 10.1128/jvi.69.12.8109-8113.1995. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Karem K. L., Bowen J., Kuklin N., Rouse B. T. Protective immunity against herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 following oral administration of recombinant Salmonella typhimurium vaccine strains expressing HSV antigens. J Gen Virol. 1997 Feb;78(Pt 2):427–434. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-78-2-427. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kinghorn G. R. Genital herpes: natural history and treatment of acute episodes. J Med Virol. 1993;Suppl 1:33–38. doi: 10.1002/jmv.1890410508. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kriesel J. D., Spruance S. L., Daynes R. A., Araneo B. A. Nucleic acid vaccine encoding gD2 protects mice from herpes simplex virus type 2 disease. J Infect Dis. 1996 Mar;173(3):536–541. doi: 10.1093/infdis/173.3.536. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kuklin N. A., Daheshia M., Chun S., Rouse B. T. Role of mucosal immunity in herpes simplex virus infection. J Immunol. 1998 Jun 15;160(12):5998–6003. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Langenberg A. G., Burke R. L., Adair S. F., Sekulovich R., Tigges M., Dekker C. L., Corey L. A recombinant glycoprotein vaccine for herpes simplex virus type 2: safety and immunogenicity [corrected]. Ann Intern Med. 1995 Jun 15;122(12):889–898. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-122-12-199506150-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. McClements W. L., Armstrong M. E., Keys R. D., Liu M. A. Immunization with DNA vaccines encoding glycoprotein D or glycoprotein B, alone or in combination, induces protective immunity in animal models of herpes simplex virus-2 disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Oct 15;93(21):11414–11420. doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.21.11414. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Meignier B., Longnecker R., Roizman B. In vivo behavior of genetically engineered herpes simplex viruses R7017 and R7020: construction and evaluation in rodents. J Infect Dis. 1988 Sep;158(3):602–614. doi: 10.1093/infdis/158.3.602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Mertz G. J., Ashley R., Burke R. L., Benedetti J., Critchlow C., Jones C. C., Corey L. Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a herpes simplex virus type 2 glycoprotein vaccine in persons at high risk for genital herpes infection. J Infect Dis. 1990 Apr;161(4):653–660. doi: 10.1093/infdis/161.4.653. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Milligan G. N., Bernstein D. I., Bourne N. T lymphocytes are required for protection of the vaginal mucosae and sensory ganglia of immune mice against reinfection with herpes simplex virus type 2. J Immunol. 1998 Jun 15;160(12):6093–6100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Morrison L. A., Knipe D. M. Immunization with replication-defective mutants of herpes simplex virus type 1: sites of immune intervention in pathogenesis of challenge virus infection. J Virol. 1994 Feb;68(2):689–696. doi: 10.1128/jvi.68.2.689-696.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Pachuk C. J., Arnold R., Herold K., Ciccarelli R. B., Higgins T. J. Humoral and cellular immune responses to herpes simplex virus-2 glycoprotein D generated by facilitated DNA immunization of mice. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1998;226:79–89. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-80475-5_6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Rouse B. T., Nair S., Rouse R. J., Yu Z., Kuklin N., Karem K., Manickan E. DNA vaccines and immunity to herpes simplex virus. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 1998;226:69–78. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-80475-5_5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Skinner G. R., Fink C., Melling J., Wiblin C., Thornton B., Hallworth J., Gardner W., McLeish P., Hartley C., Buchan A. Report of twelve years experience in open study of Skinner herpes simplex vaccine towards prevention of herpes genitalis. Med Microbiol Immunol. 1992;180(6):305–320. doi: 10.1007/BF00191551. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Skinner G. R., Woodman C. B., Hartley C. E., Buchan A., Fuller A., Durham J., Synnott M., Clay J. C., Melling J., Wiblin C. Preparation and immunogenicity of vaccine Ac NFU1 (S-) MRC towards the prevention of herpes genitalis. Br J Vener Dis. 1982 Dec;58(6):381–386. doi: 10.1136/sti.58.6.381. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Spector F. C., Kern E. R., Palmer J., Kaiwar R., Cha T. A., Brown P., Spaete R. R. Evaluation of a live attenuated recombinant virus RAV 9395 as a herpes simplex virus type 2 vaccine in guinea pigs. J Infect Dis. 1998 May;177(5):1143–1154. doi: 10.1086/515278. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Stanberry L. R., Bernstein D. I., Burke R. L., Pachl C., Myers M. G. Vaccination with recombinant herpes simplex virus glycoproteins: protection against initial and recurrent genital herpes. J Infect Dis. 1987 May;155(5):914–920. doi: 10.1093/infdis/155.5.914. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Stanberry L. R., Kern E. R., Richards J. T., Abbott T. M., Overall J. C., Jr Genital herpes in guinea pigs: pathogenesis of the primary infection and description of recurrent disease. J Infect Dis. 1982 Sep;146(3):397–404. doi: 10.1093/infdis/146.3.397. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Stanberry L. R., Kit S., Myers M. G. Thymidine kinase-deficient herpes simplex virus type 2 genital infection in guinea pigs. J Virol. 1985 Aug;55(2):322–328. doi: 10.1128/jvi.55.2.322-328.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Stanberry L. R., Myers M. G., Stephanopoulos D. E., Burke R. L. Preinfection prophylaxis with herpes simplex virus glycoprotein immunogens: factors influencing efficacy. J Gen Virol. 1989 Dec;70(Pt 12):3177–3185. doi: 10.1099/0022-1317-70-12-3177. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Sexually Transmitted Infections are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES