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Updated: May 20, 2026
Ex Vivo Infection of Murine Epidermis with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1
Published on: August 24, 2015
Decreasing herpes simplex viral infectivity in solution by surface-immobilized and suspended
Alyssa M Larson1, Hyung Suk Oh, David M Knipe
1Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139, USA.
Purpose:
To explore surface-immobilized and suspended modalities of the hydrophobic polycation N,N-dodecyl,methyl-polyethylenimine (DMPEI) for the ability to reduce viral infectivity in aqueous solutions containing herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) 1 and 2.
Methods:
Surface-immobilized (coated onto surfaces) and suspended DMPEI were incubated with aqueous solutions containing HSV-1 or -2 to measure the antiviral effect of the hydrophobic polycation's formulations on HSVs.
Results:
DMPEI coated on either polyethylene slides or male latex condoms dramatically decreases infectivity in solutions containing HSV-1 or -2. Moreover, DMPEI suspended in aqueous solution markedly reduces the infectious titer of these HSVs.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest potential uses of DMPEI for both prophylaxis (in the form of coated condoms) and treatment (as a topical suspension) for HSV infections.
