Targeting a protein that worsens herpes eye infections
HPSE in Ocular Herpes Infection
Researchers will try drugs that block the HPSE protein and a partner called Akt2 to help prevent eye damage and vision loss from herpes simplex infections of the eye.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167655 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You may have heard that a protein called heparanase (HPSE) makes herpes infections in the eye more severe; this project builds on lab findings showing HPSE increases viral growth, inflammation, and scarring. The team will study how HPSE and the related protein Akt2 trigger inflammatory cell death and nerve damage by looking at genes and proteins in infected tissues and cells. They will test small-molecule drugs that block HPSE or Akt2 in laboratory and animal models to see if these drugs lower virus levels and reduce eye inflammation and scarring. If those approaches look promising, the work could point toward new treatments to protect vision from recurrent ocular herpes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with active or recurrent herpes simplex infection of the eye (herpetic keratitis) or those at high risk of vision loss from corneal HSV are the most likely candidates for related future trials.
Not a fit: People without ocular herpes, those with other unrelated eye diseases, or patients with already irreversible vision loss are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, blocking HPSE or Akt2 could reduce viral replication, inflammation, nerve damage, and vision loss from ocular herpes infections.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical work from prior funding shows HPSE worsens HSV-1 eye disease and early data support the idea that blocking HPSE or Akt pathways may help, but this therapeutic approach has not yet been proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, UNITED STATES
- University of Illinois at Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shukla, Deepak — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Shukla, Deepak
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.