New Lotion to Cure Herpes Blisters in a Single Day

01/05/2018 - 11h04

Herpes type 1 – which typically appears on one's lips, but can also appear on other parts of the face, chest and even genital organs – is caused by the Herpes simplex virus (Herpesvírus hominus), which is untreatable.

Vinícius Pedrazzi, a professor at the USP dental school, accidentally stumbled upon a formula capable of "drying" the blisters caused by the virus in a single day.

A patient who showed up with sizeable lesions inside her mouth said that she was in a hurry and that she needed to leave with her dental prosthesis.

After complaining about the pain that arose toward the beginning of the dental procedure due to the lesions, the dentist and USP professor decided to apply anesthesia to the lesions, which disappeared.

Research into the matter ensued from the excitement surrounding the occurrence. As a result, the anesthesia that had been originally applied was transformed into a kind of gel that makes the lesions disappear after being applied on three separate occasions spaced out with eight-hour intervals.

After being applied over the lesion as well as the area directly surrounding it, a transparent surface is formed that should be left untouched for two hours.

Research on the lotion (sponsored by Fapesp and CNPq) is currently being conducted with 115 test subjects, some of whom have been monitored for more than a year.

Mr. Pedrazzi said that in less than 20% of cases in which the lotion is applied on lesions they either don't disappear entirely or they reappear. However, even in said cases, the clinical condition of such patients improves.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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