A detergent-soluble extract of virus-infected cells free from infectious virus protects mice from lethal herpes simplex virus infection.

Lethal infection with herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1) and 2 was effectively prevented by previous immunization with a detergent-soluble extract (DSE) of virus-infected cells free from infectious virus without any adjuvant. This protective immunity seemed to last for at least one month. Neutralizing antibodies were elicited in mice immunized with DSE, but at a lower level than in animals immunized with live or killed virus. DSE did not protect athymic nude mice from death by HSV-1 infection, suggesting that a T cell-mediated immune response plays a major role in the protection.