Gene is first linked to herpes-related cold sores

In the article the first gene associated with frequent herpes-related cold sores was discovered by a team of researchers from University of Utah and the University of Massachusetts. Seventy percent of the US population is affected by herpes simplex type one. Once one is infected by the herpes he/she can no longer get rid of it, but the herpes subsides and lies dormant in the nerve cells till it is reactivated. The common side affect from herpes is a cold sore. Cold sore outbreaks are very unpredictable after being diagnosed with HSV-1. These medical researchers believed three reasons have contributed to HSV-1: the virus itself, environmental factors and genetic susceptibility. John D. Kriesel, M.D., research associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Utah School of Medicine and first author on the study stated, "The goal of our investigation was to define genes linked to cold sore frequency." After their investigation they found 21 chromosomes containing six genes linked to HSL (Herpes simplex labialis). Two methods, linkage analysis and transmission disequilibrium testing, were used to figure if there was truly a genetic connection between DNA sequence variation and frequent cold sores.