Semen facilitates infection with mpox virus, study shows
The mpox virus used to be transmitted predominantly from animals to humans. In recent years, however, new virus variants have become increasingly capable of spreading from person to person. Researchers at Goethe University and Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt have now found that seminal fluid facilitates the uptake of the mpox virus into cells. Their study is published in the journal Emerging…
Recent research from Goethe University and Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt has uncovered a new factor that may contribute to the spread of mpox virus. The study, published in Emerging Microbes & Infections, reveals that seminal fluid can enhance the uptake of the mpox virus into skin cells. This finding could help explain why sexual transmission of the virus is a significant risk.
The researchers infected fibroblasts and keratinocytes with the mpox virus, both with and without seminal fluid. When the virus was mixed with seminal fluid prior to infection, the pathogen was more readily taken up by the cells. Analysis of the seminal fluid showed that certain protein fragments are responsible for this effect. These fragments form fibers that facilitate the attachment of the virus to human cells.
Ph.D. student Emma Torbica, who conducted the experiments, noted that these findings explain why sexual contact poses a particularly high risk of mpox transmission. The researchers also found that existing antiviral drugs remain effective even when seminal fluid is involved. Additionally, they discovered an experimental compound that can disrupt the infection-promoting structures in the seminal fluid and directly inhibit the virus.
The study's lead author, Professor Denisa Bojkova, emphasized that these findings are important for both medical practice and future prevention strategies.
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