Hunting for Achilles' heel

As technological advances illuminate the fundamentals of viral biology, new targets are continuing to surface. Last week researchers published work describing new targets to treat HIV, herpes simplex virus and hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B virus-infected patients. Each academic group hopes to have found the Achilles' heel for the disease they are pursuing.

Scientists have been baffled by the ability of herpes simplex virus to get into and hide in almost any kind of human cell, allowing it to become a chronic disease. Researchers at the University of Michigan say they have discovered the receptor that HSV is exploiting and have developed a pig cell culture system that could be used to test new anti-herpes drugs...