Antimicrobial Peptoid Oligomers Inhibit HSV-1 Lesion Formation and Viral DNA in Mouse Herpes Labialis Model
In Vivo Activity of Antimicrobial Peptoid Oligomers against HSV-1 in a Mouse Model of Herpes Labialis.
Background
Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) infections cause recurrent oral lesions, infectious blindness, and can be life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals. Current primary treatments, such as nucleoside analogues like acyclovir, are only partially effective and face challenges with drug resistance. There is a critical need for new, effective topical antiviral agents that can inactivate HSV-1. Peptoid oligomers, biomimetic compounds mimicking antimicrobial peptides like LL-37, offer a promising solution due to their potent antiviral activity and high resistance to proteases.
Key Findings
- Antiviral peptoid oligomers dose-dependently inhibited HSV-1 lesion formation in a mouse model.
- The peptoid's efficacy in reducing lesions was comparable to acyclovir cream and LL-37.
- Dose-dependent reduction of viral DNA was observed in both the lip and trigeminal ganglion via
qPCR. - Peptoids rapidly inactivate HSV-1 in vitro by disrupting the viral envelope, likely via
phosphatidylserineinteraction.
hsv-1
herpes-labialis
antiviral
peptoid
mouse-model
topical