>If I read the article correctly the "cuts" are made to the DNA of the virus, not the nerve cell itself. [1] To further clarify, the herpes virus leaves DNA pl

>If I read the article correctly the "cuts" are made to the DNA of the virus, not the nerve cell itself. [1] To further clarify, the herpes virus leaves DNA plasmids inside the cell nucleus; the virus' DNA is NOT incorporated into the cell's genome (like HIV) and the meganuclease delivered by the AAV cuts apart those plasmids -- not the cell's own DNA -- and in this version actually leaves behind its own plasmid that acts as a sentinel making more meganucleases to guard against future HSV infections in that cell. The researchers are investigating ways to remove those AAV plasmids when the job is done for added safety.