Estradiol improves genital herpes vaccine efficacy in mice.

Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 causes genital herpes but is frequently transmitted asymptomatically; therefore, a prophylactic vaccine is desirable. A candidate vaccine in clinical trials has only shown efficacy in preventing disease in women. Using this subunit vaccine candidate, we were able to demonstrate infection prophylaxis, improved disease prevention and modulated antibody production by complimenting vaccination with estradiol in our murine model. Findings of estradiol-enhanced vaccine efficacy are the first of their kind using a vaccine of this type and have potential clinical relevance to the development of other vaccines and our understanding of gender differences in vaccine efficacy.