Methods for screening and profiling inhibitors of herpes simplex viruses

Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) establish lifelong latent infections in infected hosts that reactivate -periodically and result in virus shedding and recurrent diseases, such as genital herpes. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by HSV are a major public health problem worldwide. At present, the only effective antiviral drugs for treatment of HSV are nucleoside analogues, which are incorporated into the DNA chain and terminate the chain elongation during virus replication. With increasing emergence of drug resistance, novel drugs for new viral targets are warranted. In this chapter, several screening and profiling assays including plaque reduction assays, cytopathic effect inhibition assay, and in vitro cytotoxicity assay for identifying and evaluating inhibitors of HSV are described. Assays for mode of action studies, such as virus adsorption and penetration, are also presented.