Heart Drug Could Be Basis for New Treatment Against Epstein Barr Virus, Herpes Viruses

Summary: Researchers have unexpectedly found that a drug that has been used for the past 50 years to treat heart failure and high blood pressure also inhibits infection by the Epstein Barr virus, which causes mono and is associated with several cancers. Lead author of the study, <a href="http://healthcare.utah.edu/fad/mddetail.php?physicianID=u0730981">Sankar Swaminathan</a>, M.D. chief of infectious disease at University of Utah Health Care, discusses how he came upon this chance finding, and the potential broader implications for treating other illnesses caused by herpes virus, including shingles, mono, herpes, and meningitis. Read the study in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26976570">PNAS</a> and learn more <a href="http://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2016/02/herpesvirus-drug.php">here</a>.