Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are among the most common viral infections worldwide, affecting billions of people. While many cases are mild or asymptomatic, HSV can pose significant health risks and testing can help vulnerable populations. The Native Antigen Company offers a range of recombinant proteins from HSV-1 and HSV-2.
Herpes is an infection with one of two closely related viruses, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) [1].
These infections are usually characterized by painful blisters or sores, typically appearing on the mouth or genital area. While both types can infect either location, HSV-1 is more commonly associated with oral infections, and HSV-2 is more frequently linked to genital infections [2] The virus spreads through direct contact with an infected person's skin or bodily fluids, such as kissing or sharing personal items (HSV-1), sexual contact (HSV-2), or transmission from mother to baby during childbirth. Once infected, the virus remains in the body for life, lying dormant in nerve cells and potentially reactivating periodically, causing outbreaks.
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 3.8 billion people under age 50 (64%) globally have HSV-1, while 520 million people aged 15–49 (13%) have HSV-2, making it one of the most common infections worldwide [2].
While most of these infections are asymptomatic or mild, they can lead to significant health complications, for example:
Antiviral therapies can prevent neonatal herpes or congenital infections, e.g. by treating the expecting mother with antiviral therapeutics, or delivering the child by C-section. In cases where infection of the child does occur, early is testing is vital in order to start a suitable therapy in a timely manner. Therefore, testing is required as soon as a herpes infection is suspected. Testing can also be beneficial in other cases, e.g. it can enable the infected person to make informed choices [2-4].
HSV-1 and HSV-2 are closely related viruses that diverged about 6 million years ago [8]. They are enveloped viruses with a linear genome of 150,000 base pairs that contains about 84 genes [9]. The genome is encased in a nuclear capsid, and this assembly is finally wrapped in an envelope consisting of a lipid bilayer and surface proteins [10].
The glycoproteins on the surface of the envelope, which are involved in cell recognition and facilitating virus entry, have been show to be particularly useful in the serological detection of HSV [11]. The Native Antigen Company offers a variety of purified HSV-1 and HSV2 glycoproteins, expressed as recombinant proteins in HEK293 cells:
HSV-1 gG (REC32130) & HSV-2 gG (REC32123, REC32125):
Glycoprotein G (gG)is commonly used for distinguishing between HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections [12]. While many proteins show a high degree of conservation between the two virus species, gG-1 and gG-2 are serologically distinct due to the presence of a region of additional 526 amino acids in gG-2 [13].
HSV-1 gB (REC32135) & HSV-2 gB (REC32138):
Glycoprotein B (gB) is the most conserved protein of the virus’ cell entry mechanism [14]. It has been suggested as a potential candidate for the development of a Herpes vaccine [15].
HSV-1 gC (REC32126) & HSV-2 gC (REC32120):
Another protein of the cell entry machinery, glycoprotein C (gC) has been suggested as another target for the detection of herpes infections [11].
HSV-1 gD (REC32127) & HSV-2 gD (REC32121):
Glycoprotein D binds to receptors on the surface of human cells, a process necessary for infection [16]. Similar to gB, it has been suggested as a potential ingredient for a HSV vaccine [17].
With an expanding portfolio of antigens and antibodies for ToRCH testing, including our recombinant solutions, we continue to provide innovative and reliable tools for infectious disease research and diagnostics.
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