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New anti-HSV therapeutics target the helicase–primase complex

Nature Medicine volume 8, pages 327–328 (2002)Cite this article

The only targets for clinical treatment of herpes simplex virus infections have been the viral enzymes thymidine kinase and DNA polymerase. Now, animal experiments show the healing benefits of new antiherpes drugs that act on the viral helicase–primase complex and appear superior to the standard treatment, acyclovir.

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Figure 1: Mechanism of DNA synthesis inhibition by acyclovir and the new drugs (modified from Boehmer and Lehman11).

Renee Lucas

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  1. Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Harvard Medical School and Division of Infectious Diseases Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts

    Clyde S. Crumpacker & Priscilla A. Schaffer

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  1. Clyde S. Crumpacker
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  2. Priscilla A. Schaffer
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Crumpacker, C., Schaffer, P. New anti-HSV therapeutics target the helicase–primase complex. Nat Med 8, 327–328 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0402-327

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