Investigators have identified a human chromosome containing a
specific gene associated with susceptibility to herpes simplex
labialis (HSL), the common cold sore. Published in the Journal
of Infectious Diseases and now available online, the study looks
at how several genes may affect the severity of symptoms and
frequency of this common infection. The findings, if confirmed,
could have implications for the development of new drugs to
treat outbreaks. HSL outbreaks, or cold sores, are skin
infections that appear with the reactivation of herpes simplex
virus, a virus that infects 70 percent of the U.S. population.
Cold sore outbreaks vary in frequency and severity; some people
may experience symptoms rarely, only once every 5 to 10 years,
while others may experience them once a month or even more
frequently. In addition to investigating environmental
activating factors (e.g., sunlight) that may play a role in
outbreaks, researchers for some time have been looking at the
possible role of genetic factors in virus