How herpes simplex viruses get into human cells
Capturing HSV entry glycoprotein complexes
This project will map how herpes simplex viruses use specific proteins to enter human cells to help guide better vaccines and treatments for people with HSV infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11270642 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You will be hearing about work that aims to capture the groups of viral proteins HSV uses to fuse with and enter human cells. The team will use new laboratory methods to isolate these glycoprotein complexes and take high-resolution structural “snapshots” of how the pieces fit together. Knowing the shapes and interactions of these protein complexes can reveal exactly how the virus triggers membrane fusion and gains entry. This is mainly lab-based structural and biochemical research that builds on previous structures of single viral proteins.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HSV-1 or HSV-2 infections are the long-term audience for these discoveries, though this R21 appears to be laboratory research rather than a patient-enrolling clinical trial.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments are unlikely to receive direct benefit because this is early-stage basic science focused on protein structures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to targets for improved vaccines and antibody therapies that prevent or reduce HSV infections and related complications.
How similar studies have performed: Scientists have already solved structures of individual HSV glycoproteins and the gH/gL complex, but capturing larger entry complexes at high resolution is novel and has not yet been achieved.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Tufts University Boston — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heldwein, Ekaterina — Tufts University Boston
- Study coordinator: Heldwein, Ekaterina
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.