A compound in liquorice may help to stop people with a herpes virus from developing cancer, research suggests.
A team at New York University found the compound – glycyrrhizic acid – could stop the virus triggering a form of cancer called Kaposi sarcoma.
The infection causes tumours to develop in tissues below the skin, and in internal organs. It is often found in people with a depressed immune system.
The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Many of the herpes viruses that infect people can sit latent in cells for long periods of time.
But when they are reactivated, they can cause painful symptoms and distress.
While treatment for active infections is progressing nicely, it remains very challenging to treat latent infections.
In particular, progress in treating herpes virus latency has lagged behind.
