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Updated: Feb 28, 2026
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Porcine Corneal Tissue Explant to Study the Efficacy of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Antivirals
Published on: September 20, 2021
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Molecular Pathways Driving Corneal Neovascularization in Herpes Simplex Keratitis
Soromidayo Akinsiku1, Deepak Shukla1,2
1Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 27, 2026
Summary
Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) involves more than inflammation; viral hijacking of host cells drives corneal neovascularization (CNV). Understanding these molecular pathways offers new therapeutic targets for preventing vision loss.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is an immunopathological disease caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).
- Immune-mediated damage alone does not fully explain corneal neovascularization (CNV) in HSK.
- CNV is a leading cause of blindness, stemming from complex host-virus interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-examine HSK, focusing on molecular mechanisms driving CNV progression.
- To explore pathways upstream of immune responses that contribute to pathological vascular invasion.
- To propose an updated mechanistic framework for HSK-associated CNV.
Main Methods:
- Review of molecular pathways and signaling axes involved in HSK and CNV.
- Analysis of host cell machinery hijacked by HSV-1.
- Integration of data on endothelial growth factors, matrix metalloproteinases, heparanase, Syndecan-1, and microRNAs.
Main Results:
- HSK progression to CNV involves complex host-virus interactions beyond leukocyte inflammation.
- Key pathways include JAK2/STAT3, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and hypoxia signaling.
- Heparanase plays a significant, underexplored role in promoting CNV.
Conclusions:
- An updated mechanistic framework for HSK-associated CNV is proposed.
- Identifying molecular drivers upstream of immune responses is crucial.
- Pathway-level targets offer potential therapeutic strategies for HSK-related vision loss.
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