Scientists from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have identified an enzyme in the cornea that becomes upregulated and triggers inflammation during and even after a herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection has cleared.
According to researchers, they studied human corneal cells infected with HSV-1 and noticed an enzyme called heparanase became significantly upregulated and activated in cells just after infection, and remained upregulated well after the initial infection. In its active form, heparanase reportedly functions to regulate levels of heparan sulfate -- a kind of generic cell membrane receptor.
Researchers found when heparanase levels are heightened in the cornea, certain molecules that would normally bind to haparan sulfate instead damage junctions between cells, making tissues leaky and permeable to blood and accessible to immune cells. Additionally, heparanase reportedly promoted inflammation through the production of pro-inflammatory molecules in corneal cells.
Scientists believe heparanase may also be a key factor in other inflammatory disorders, including dry eye disease.
The research was recently published in the journal Cell Reports.
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Source: University of Illinois at Chicago