Therapeutic Nucleic Acids Against Herpes Simplex Viruses (A Review).

The Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes a wide range of diseases ranging from relatively mild primary skin lesions to severe and often fatal episodes of encephalitis. Currently, the most effective drugs for HSV-infected people are nucleoside analogs (e.g., acyclovir), which target enzymes encoded by viral DNA. The effectiveness of nucleoside analogs is reduced because of poor solubility in water, rapid intracellular catabolism, high cellular toxicity, and the appearance of resistant viral strains. Antisense technology, which exploits therapeutic nucleic acids (antisense oligonucleotides, their analogs, and siRNAs), seems to be a promising alternative antiviral therapy due to the high affinity of these agents to target nucleic acids, their high solubility in water, and low cytotoxicity. In the last decade, antisense oligonucleotides have been investigated as potential medicines for various diseases associated with harmful nucleic acids. Oligonucleotides with different chemical modifications targeted to specific regions of the HSV genome have shown effectiveness in suppressing the virus. siRNA-based agents have demonstrated prolonged and efficient (up to 99%) inhibition of HSV replication. The publications over the past 30 years considered in the review suggest the promising use of therapeutic nucleic acids to combat herpes viral infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]