Rub on the Rioja
HEALTH 23 September 2000
By Alison Motluk
THE herpes virus is something many people have learned to live with. Butresearchers told ICAAC delegates that they have found a substance in red winethat stops even drug-resistant forms of the disease in their tracks. Thedisappointing news is that you have to rub it on, not drink it.
One form of the virus, herpes simplex 1, just causes cold sores, but herpessimplex 2 can kill babies if they catch it during delivery. Many effectivetreatments exist, some strains of the viruses are already resistant to them.
The compound resveratrol, a trihydroxystilbene found in red wine, came underthe spotlight when studies showed that it gave some protection against heartdisease. John Docherty of Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine inRootstown and his colleagues became interested in resveratrol when they heard itcould inhibit DNA synthesis. Herpes can’t invade the body if this process isblocked, and the researchers found that the chemical did indeed work against thevirus.
They have now come up with a slightly modified form of resveratrol, calledstil-5, which is even better. It inhibited more than 99.9 per cent of thevirus’s replication, even with drug-resistant strains.
The substance seems to affect production of two proteins, ICP-4 and ICP-27,which are important in viral synthesis. “It somehow knocks these two proteinsout,” says Docherty.
Someone with cold sores would apply a gel containing a concentratedformulation of stil-5, when they feel the numb or tingling sensation thatheralds a cold sore. Docherty says the compound could be added to contraceptivefoams or the lubricant on condoms to prevent transmission of herpes simplex 2.