Treatment of Herpetic Keratitis with Interferon

Smolin, Gilbert

Abstract

The lowered cost and availability of cloned interferon (IF) will facilitate the employment of this agent for therapy and for experimentation. The availability of cloned IF from Genentech Corporation, South San Francisco, California has allowed and will allow us to study new and exacting areas of antiviral research. Acute herpetic keratitis in rabbits will be initially studied. Doses of 10 to the fifth to 10 to the nineth u/ml will be tested with varying frequencies of instillation. IF will be given prophylactically and after initiation of the infection. Various types of IF will be tested, (i.e. human leukocyte interferon type A, B, C, D, F, etc.) for effectivenes. The drug will be given topically and/or systemically (natural killer cell activity evaluated). Type II herpes simplex virus will be treated as well a type I. A recurrence model will be evaluated (natural recurrences of use of trigger mechanisms) with the mose efficacious type and regimen of IF. Many other areas may be explored (i.e. congenital herpes) depending upon the initial results.