Japanese researchers report in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they have discovered that varicella-zoster virus infects nerve tissue by attaching to protrusions on the surface of nerve cells, which in turn infect nerve tissue. Herpes virus The varicella-zoster virus can cause two different conditions, varicella and herpes zoster, with varicella mostly seen in children and herpes zoster mostly seen in adults. Researchers from Osaka University and Kobe University in Japan and other institutions conducted experiments using varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus to infect human cultured cells, respectively. It was found that both viruses attached their surface protrusions to the nerve protrusions called “MAG” on the surface of cultured cells and then sent their own genes into the host cells to proliferate. The researchers also confirmed through this experiment that if antibodies are used to block the binding of viral protrusions and nerve protrusions, it is difficult for the virus to infect nerve tissue. This research could help develop new ways to prevent infection with varicella-zoster virus.