Developing a Vaccine Against Human Cytomegalovirus: Identifying and Targeting HCMV’s Immunological Achilles’ Heel
Anastasia Lankina, Marta Raposo, Alexander Hargreaves, Claire Atkinson, Paul Griffiths, Matthew B. Reeves
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a critical pathogen in immunocompromised populations, such as organ transplant recipients as well as congenitally infected neonates with immature immune systems. Despite decades of research and the growing financial burden associated with the management of HCMV, there is no licensed vaccine to date. In this review, we aim to outline the complexity of HCMV and the antigens it presents and the journey and challenges of developing an effective HCMV vaccine, as well as further highlight the recent analyses of the most successful vaccine candidate so far-gB/MF59.
Topics & Concepts
Human cytomegalovirusCytomegalovirusImmune systemImmunologyVirologyMedicineHeelBiologyVirusHerpesviridaeViral diseaseAnatomyCytomegalovirus and herpesvirus researchHerpesvirus Infections and TreatmentsBiosensors and Analytical Detection