Current & Advanced Treatments for Sexually Transmitted Viral Infections Flashcards
what do warts most commonly originate from
human papilloma virus (HPV)
what does wart treatment focus on
removal of wart as opposed to removal of virus
what are the first line treatments of warts
imiquimod
podophyllotoxin
how does imiquimod work
immunoenhancing drug
cytokines secreted by cells of immune system and have effect on other cells (aka interferons, interleukins, TNF-a)
imiquimod switches on cytokines aka innate immune system to clear wart
imiquimod mechanism of action
binds to and activates toll-like receptors (TLR) 7 and 8
activates intracellular signalling pathways through NF-kB
NF-kB translocates to nucleus where it activates gene transcription
causes production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g. TNF-alpha)
pro inflammatory proteins secreted from cell, then switch on immune cells e.g T cells
triggers immune response, wart cells removed
how is podophyllotoxin for warts administered
topically
podophyllotoxin mechanism of action
internalises into wart cells
binds to microtubules, preventing mitotic division
inhibits topoisomerase 2
cells cannot undergo cell division, triggers apoptosis, wart regresses
other than warts, what does HPV cause
cancers
what are the high risk HPVs (2)
HPV 16
HPV 18
what are the main types of cancer associated with HPV infection
Cervical cancer is the main cancer associated with HPV infection, but can also cause vaginal, vulval, penile, anal, mouth and throat cancers
what % of all cervical cancers are attributed to HPV 16
50
what % of all cervical cancers are attributed to HPV 18
20
what occurs when the body fails to clear the infection - causing precancerous lesions to develop
virus replicates in epithelial cells
can damage DNA
precancerous lesions can develop
what do the precancerous lesions undergo
many regress alone
but may undergo further transformation and become a cancerous tumour if infection persists
what vaccine is used by the NHS to protect against HPV 6, 11, 16, 18
gardasil
mechanism of action of gardasil
contains purified L1 protein ( major capsid protein ) from each HPV strain
L1 proteins self assemble into HPV virus like particles (VLPs) which produce antibodies
reduces risk of viral infection developing into cancers
preventative/ inert vaccination
what is the L1 protein
the major capsid protein, come together to form capsomere and then a pentamere
when was the HPV vaccine introduced
2008
initially for 16-21 aged females which have seen reduction in HPV by 86%
then in 2019, administering to males and females aged 12 and above
4 examples of the 9 herpes virus types
herpes simplex virus 1 - HSV-1
herpes simplex virus 2 - HSV-2
varicella-zoster virus
epstein-barr virus (mononucleosis virus)
what does herpes simplex-1 HSV-1 tend to cause
cold sores
what does herpes simplex-1 HSV-1 and HSV-2 tend to cause
genital herpes
what are the symptoms of herpes (4)
small blisters that burst to leave red open sores around gential, anus, thighs, buttocks
tingling, burning, itching around genitals
pain during urination
vaginal discharge
first like treatment of herpes
aciclovir (prodrug)
mechanism of action of aciclovir
ACV converted to ACV-monophosphate (ACV-MP)
via HSV-1 thymidine kinase
HSV-1 TK enzyme only expressed in infected cells aka virus cells - rate dependent step, relies on this virus
grants specificity to drug and reduces off-target side effects
ACV-MP undergoes further phosphorylation to ACV-disphosphate (ACV-DP)
via cellular guanylate kinase aka humans take over
ACV-DP converted to ACV-triphosphate (ACV-TP)
via disphosphate kinase
enzymes expressed by cells, not dependent on viral enzymes
ACV-TP misincorporated into viral DNA aka means to target guanine residue but oopsies
ACV-TP misrecognised by DNA polymerase as deoxyguanosine triphosphate (dGTP) - guanine precursor
ACV-TP lacks 3’ hydroxyl group of dGTP so prevents attachment of additional nucleosides into DNA chain
terminates growing viral DNA chain
what does varicella-zoster virus cause
(chickenpox/ shingles)