Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2005; 10: 150
US researchers have found that glycyrrhizic acid (GA), a liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) compound, can stop a herpes virus from triggering Kaposi sarcoma by targeting the genes required to maintain the virus in a latent state. Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) is linked with all clinical forms of Kaposi sarcoma and several lymphoproliferative disorders. Like other herpes viruses, KSHV becomes latent in the infected cells. Research for the treatment of active infection has been progressing but treatment of latent infection has been ineffective. This is the first time that GA has been shown to stop latent infection with KSHV and has implications for future drug development.
J Clin Invest 2005 115: 642–52.
