Monson E A, Lloyd M G, Johnson R I, Caracciolo K, Whan J, Rau T F, Londrigan S L, Moffat J F, Mayfosh A J, Helbig K J
Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
Antiviral Res. 2025 May;237:106136. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2025.106136. Epub 2025 Mar 5.
Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) are significant global health concerns, infecting over 66% of the population. VZV causes varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (shingles), while HSV leads to oral and genital herpes. Current antiviral treatments target viral replication but face limitations, such as the need for early intervention and the development of drug resistance, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Additionally, while shingles vaccines exist, their use is limited by availability, access, awareness, and cost. There is no vaccine for HSV. This study introduces GS-1, a novel formulation of undecylenic acid compounded with L-Arginine, as an entry inhibitor of enveloped viruses. In vitro studies demonstrate the antiviral activity of GS-1 against both VZV and HSV-1, with EC values ranging from 26 μg/mL to 62 μg/mL. Additionally, GS-1 displayed antiviral activity against VZV in an ex vivo human skin model, indicating its potential as a topical antiviral agent. The unique mechanism of action of GS-1, which involved binding directly to viral particles and blocking viral entry, was also extended to another enveloped virus, zika virus (ZIKV), a member of the flavivirus family, but had limited ability to block the non-enveloped virus, rotavirus. GS-1 could offer an effective means of controlling viral infections, particularly when used as combination therapy with other antiviral agents. Future studies will focus on confirming these results in a clinical setting.
水痘带状疱疹病毒（VZV）和单纯疱疹病毒（HSV）是全球重大的健康问题，感染了超过66%的人口。VZV引起水痘（鸡痘）和带状疱疹，而HSV导致口腔和生殖器疱疹。目前的抗病毒治疗针对病毒复制，但面临局限性，如需要早期干预以及耐药性的产生，尤其是在免疫功能低下的患者中。此外，虽然有带状疱疹疫苗，但其使用受到可用性、可及性、认知度和成本的限制。HSV没有疫苗。本研究引入了GS-1，一种由十一烯酸与L-精氨酸复合而成的新型制剂，作为包膜病毒的进入抑制剂。体外研究证明了GS-1对VZV和HSV-1均具有抗病毒活性，其半数有效浓度（EC）值范围为26μg/mL至62μg/mL。此外，GS-1在体外人皮肤模型中对VZV显示出抗病毒活性，表明其作为局部抗病毒药物的潜力。GS-1独特的作用机制，即直接与病毒颗粒结合并阻断病毒进入，也扩展到了另一种包膜病毒——黄病毒科成员寨卡病毒（ZIKV），但对非包膜病毒轮状病毒的阻断能力有限。GS-1可以提供一种控制病毒感染的有效手段，特别是与其他抗病毒药物联合使用时。未来的研究将集中在临床环境中证实这些结果。
