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Published on: October 28, 2019
HSV-1 metabolic hijacking: Mechanisms to precision therapeutics
Siping Kuang1, Jingjing Zhang1, Junjie Chen1
1Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
Virulence
|August 11, 2026
Summary
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) reprograms host metabolism for replication and immune evasion. Targeting these metabolic changes offers new precision medicine strategies against HSV-1 infections.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Metabolic Engineering
Background:
- Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) infection leads to persistent disease.
- Viral replication requires significant host cell resource manipulation.
- HSV-1 infection impacts host immune responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the metabolic reprogramming strategies employed by HSV-1.
- To elucidate the immunosuppressive effects of HSV-1-induced metabolic changes.
- To identify novel therapeutic targets based on immunometabolic dysregulation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on HSV-1 metabolism and immunology.
- Analysis of metabolic pathways altered during HSV-1 infection.
- Examination of the impact of metabolic changes on immune cell function.
Main Results:
- HSV-1 hijacks glucose, lipid, amino acid, and nucleotide metabolism for viral biosynthesis.
- Altered host cell metabolism creates an immunosuppressive environment.
- HSV-1 impairs dendritic cell antigen presentation and T cell responses, facilitating immune evasion.
Conclusions:
- Understanding HSV-1's immunometabolic reprogramming is crucial.
- Metabolic vulnerabilities represent promising therapeutic targets.
- Pharmacological interventions and engineered oncolytic viruses offer precision medicine approaches against HSV-1.
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