Researchers at the NINDS have published findings that further strengthen the relationship between HHV-6, EBV, and multiple sclerosis.  The report demonstrates that 24% of 37 CSF samples from MS patients had HHV-6 reactive oligoclonal bands (OCBs) and 14% had EBV OCBs, compared to none in patients with other inflammatory neurological diseases (p=0.005). In addition, brain imaging analysis also showed that MS patients with viral DNA detected in the CSF exhibited more brain contrast enhancing lesions (CELs) than those who were virus-negative.  READ MORE

Researchers from Denmark have identified HHV-6A/B in 13.5% of semen samples from 198 sperm donors, a significantly higher prevalence than any other herpesvirus detected in the study.  Interestingly, the group also shows that HHV-6B is able to bind specifically to the acrosome of sperm, suggesting that the virus could be transported to the uterus via this binding mechanism.  READ MORE

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have reported that a set of novel methylenecyclopropane (MCP) nucleoside analogs, synthesized by Microbiotix, Inc., have shown increased activity against a broad spectrum of human herpesviruses.  The new agents are derivations of the compound cyclopropavir (CPV), currently in human phase I clinical studies, which has previously been shown to exhibit good antiviral activity against human beta-and gamma-herpes viruses, including HCMV, EBV, HHV-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-8.  In addition, all but one of the new analogs had potent anti-viral activity against HHV-6B that was greater than that of cidofovir (CDV).  READ MORE