Vaccines to prevent genital herpes

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Genital herpes (HSV-1, HSV-2) poses significant public health risks, including increased Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) transmission and severe neonatal complications.
• Current prevention strategies are limited, and there is an urgent need for an effective genital herpes vaccine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the challenges and progress in developing a genital herpes vaccine.
• To discuss lessons learned from past clinical trials and emerging vaccine technologies.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of three previous phase 3 clinical trials for genital herpes vaccines utilizing HSV-2 glycoproteins.
• Review of ongoing research and development of various vaccine platforms, including DNA, mRNA, protein subunit, and viral vaccines.

Main Results:

• Past vaccine trials using HSV-2 glycoproteins did not meet primary endpoints but showed partial success in delaying infection or protecting specific populations.
• Animal models are being refined to improve predictive value for vaccine efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Future genital herpes vaccine success may rely on enhanced animal models and understanding immune correlates of protection.
• Multiple vaccine candidates are under investigation, with optimism for an effective vaccine within the decade, including novel mRNA approaches.