PSU Magazine Summer 1987

t HSV-1 What happens when a herpes simplex virus-1 takes over a cell? PSU researcher has answers. by Cynthia D. Stowell I n vitro genetic study of the herpes simplex virus in a PSU lab is con– tributing to science's understand– ing of how viruses take over cells and it could have implications for cancer research. I Although the herpesvirus being studied by biology professor Robert Millette is not a "prime candidate" in causing cancer, "anything we can learn about how viral genes are regulated during an infection will be relevant to cancer cells," explained the researcher. • Millette's focus since 1974 has been on HSV-1, the herpes simplex virus that causes facial lesions, or cold sores. Latent in up to 55-65% of the popula– tion, HSV-1 is a recurring nuisance for 30-45% of the population, according to Millette. "It is a relatively innocuous virus, . but under certain circumstances it can cause more serious diseases," said Millette. If HSV-1 gets into the eyes, it can cause blindness, and if it gets into the brain, it can cause encephalitis, which can lead to mental disabilities and, more rarely, death. HSV-1 is one of five herpesviruses known to affect humans. Herpes simplex virus-2 is the genital variety that has received such media attention in the last several years. Another herpesvirus, varicella zoster, causes Researcher Robert Millette examines an autoradiograph showing the ''footprint" of a protein interacting with a gene fragment from a herpes simplex virus. It is at this level that the biology professor is investigating how viruses take over cells. chicken pox and shingles. A fourth variety is the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), which is most often seen in this country in the form of infectious mononucleosis, common among teenagers. There is good evidence that the same virus is a cause of Burkitt's Lymphoma, a cancer found among PSU MAGAZINE PAGE 5 Africans, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Oriental populations, said Millette. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is another herpesvirus that is a major cause of death in people with suppressed immune systems, for example in organ transplant and AIDS patients. A sixth