Cytomegalovirus News and Research

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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpes virus group, which includes herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus (which causes chickenpox), and Epstein-Barr virus (which causes infectious mononucleosis). Infection with CMV is a major cause of disease and death in immunocompromised patients, including organ transplant recipients, patients undergoing hemodialysis, patients with cancer, patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs, and HIV-infected patients. While drugs are available for treatment of these conditions, the primary drug choices carry significant side effects and warnings. Currently, there are no anti-CMV drugs indicated for treatment of primary CMV infection during pregnancy resulting in infections that can have catastrophic consequences to the newborn. Maternal-fetal transfer of CMV infection results in a fetal death rate of 12% and most survivors have permanent debilitating disorders, including mental retardation, vision loss, and sensorineural deafness.

Genetically modified mice reveal key players in immune defense against viruses

Chemokines are signaling proteins that orchestrate the interaction of immune cells against pathogens and tumors.

25 Apr 2024

Study reveals increased risk of immune abnormalities in children of women with HIV

Researchers have found that children of women with HIV infection have an increased risk of immune abnormalities following exposure to maternal HIV viremia, immune dysfunction, and co-infections during pregnancy.

17 Apr 2024

Universal screening of congenital cytomegalovirus infection with pooled saliva tests

New study displays successful implementation of pooled saliva tests for universal screening of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection.

12 Mar 2024

Combination therapy shows promise in targeting latent HIV reservoirs

Antiretroviral therapies (ART) stop HIV replication in its tracks, allowing people with HIV to live relatively normal lives.

15 Feb 2024

Smoking, infection, and BMI found to significantly sway immune response, study shows

Study reveals how smoking, CMV latent infection, and BMI significantly influence cytokine release, impacting immune response variability and potentially affecting disease risk.

14 Feb 2024

Study reveals the long-term effects of smoking on immunity

Like other factors such as age, sex and genetics, smoking has a major impact on immune responses. This is the finding recently made by a team of scientists at the Institut Pasteur using the Milieu Intérieur cohort of 1,000 healthy volunteers, established to understand variability in immune responses.

14 Feb 2024

Promising new CMV vaccine shows stronger immune response

An experimental mRNA vaccine against human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus that can infect babies during pregnancy, elicited some of the most promising immune responses to date of any CMV vaccine candidate, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

12 Feb 2024

Experimental mRNA vaccine against CMV elicits promising immune responses

7 Feb 2024

Study establishes the ideal immunosuppression regimen for pig-to-human kidney xenotransplantation

Currently used Food and Drug Administration-approved transplant drugs -; with the addition of an also already FDA-approved complement inhibitor -; are the optimal immunosuppression regimen for pig-to-human kidney transplants, according to a landmark discovery by University of Alabama at Birmingham investigators.

25 Jan 2024

Study finds patients with long COVID exhibit complement dysregulation with signs of thromboinflammation

Researchers explore inflammatory signatures restricted to patients with active post-acute COVID-19 sequelae.

23 Jan 2024

The association between viral infections and glioma risk

The causal relationship between viral infection and glioma.

7 Dec 2023

Strengthening the immune system to fight cytomegalovirus on its own

Some viruses can be dormant throughout a person's life and cause no harm but become dangerous when the immune system is weakened.

17 Oct 2023

Unlocking hope: Promising treatments for cognitive impairment in HIV patients on the horizon

Researchers examine the mechanisms responsible for the increased risk of neurocognitive impairment in HIV patients and explore potential treatments.

12 Oct 2023

Pre-existing CMV immunity protects mothers and babies from transmission and birth defects

Researchers at Tulane University have shown for the first time that mothers are much less likely to transmit a common virus known to cause miscarriages and birth defects if they are exposed to the virus prior to becoming pregnant.

6 Oct 2023

Unlocking the power of mRNA vaccines: From COVID-19 to cancer and beyond

A comprehensive review in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy delves into the versatility and effectiveness of mRNA vaccines, from their game-changing role in COVID-19 to potential applications in cancer and rare diseases. Despite drawbacks like stability and high immunogenicity, advancements in vaccine technology have poised mRNA platforms as a robust tool for both preventive and therapeutic interventions.

21 Sep 2023

New trial of a preventive HIV vaccine candidate begins in the United States and South Africa

A trial of a preventive HIV vaccine candidate has begun enrollment in the United States and South Africa.

20 Sep 2023

Genetics and environment influence immune responses to SARS-CoV-2

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinical spectrum observed among people infected with SARS-CoV-2 ranged from asymptomatic carriage to death.

24 Aug 2023

Pig kidney xenotransplantation continues to function well after 32 days

Surgeons at NYU Langone Health have transplanted a genetically engineered pig kidney that continues to function well after 32 days in a man declared dead by neurologic criteria and maintained with a beating heart on ventilator support.

16 Aug 2023

Researchers identify glycolipid that blocks infection with SARS-CoV-2 and RSV

7DW8-5, a glycolipid that utilizes the body's non-specific immune response to quickly combat viral infections, including COVID-19 in vivo.

11 Jul 2023

Prolonged T-cell response during severe COVID-19 does not contribute to long COVID

Persistent immune activation and elevated cytokine levels were observed in patients with severe COVID-19, even months after recovery. However, the correlation between immune activation and long COVID symptoms appeared to be independent, suggesting other factors influencing disease severity.

9 Jul 2023