Herpes infection may impair human brain development: Study

Beijing, Oct 25 : Three cell-based models shed light on how herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, which can spread to the fetal brain during pregnancy, may contribute to various neurodevelopmental disabilities and long-term neurological problems into adulthood, say researchers.
According to the study, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, HSV-1 is a highly prevalent pathogen that can cause lifelong neurological problems such as cognitive dysfunction, learning disabilities, and dementia.
“But progress in understanding the role of HSV-1 in human fetal brain development has been hampered by restricted access to fetal human brain tissue as well as limitations of existing animal models,” said study authors from Wuhan University in China.
To address this gap in knowledge, the researchers generated three different cell-based neurodevelopmental disorder models, including a 2D layer of cells and a 3D brain-like structure.
These models are based on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) – immature, embryonic stem cell-like cells that are generated by genetically reprogramming specialized adult cells.
According to the researchers, HSV-1 infection in neural stem cells derived from hiPSCs resulted in activation of the caspase-3 apoptotic pathway, which initiates programmed cell death.