Kiss cold sores goodbye after trigger is discovered

COLD sore sufferers may one day be free from outbreaks as scientists have found what triggers the flare-ups.

The blister-like sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus and after the initial bout has cleared up it remains in the body in a dormant state.

It can occasionally reactivate, however, and cause cold sores, but the root cause behind these resurgences has been a long-standing mystery.

Scientists at the University of Wurzburg in Germany have discovered that the switch lies in a small piece of genetic material made by the virus.

When this is activated key messages are not sent from one cell to another, leading to the body no longer suppressing the viruses via the immune system.

The molecules that are charged with continuously suppressing the circulating herpes virus are essentially paused, letting it replicate and operate at its full potential once more. Prof Lars Dolken said: “How herpes viruses reactivate … is the central question in herpes virus research.” The study was published in the journal Nature.