CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV)

Jan. 25, 2019

Scientists have reported that research on a new approach – using a cytomegalovirus-based platform – to protect against malaria is offering promising results. Their paper is published in the journal PLOS ONE.

About:

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a type of virus, similar to the herpes virus that causes cold sores and chickenpox.
CMV is usually considered harmless. Once one gets the virus, the immune system usually controls the virus and most people don't realise they have it. However, sometimes it causes problems in babies if one catches it during pregnancy (congenital CMV).
Humans and monkeys serve as natural hosts. CMV is mainly spread through close contact with someone who already has CMV.

Recent development:

At the Oregon Health and Science University, scientists tested the new vaccine using a cytomegalovirus-based platform on infected rhesus macaques, and found that this platform can create and keep immunity for life against the malaria-causing parasite.
How is it different from Mosquirix?
- The WHO is using one malaria vaccine (RTS, S/AS01, brand name Mosquirix) in three African countries, but its effectiveness has been limited.
- Most vaccines are designed to encourage the human body to respond to disease-causing pathogens by creating antibodies that disable those pathogens.
- The new vaccine takes a different approach. It uses a weakened form of a common herpes virus — a CMV — that infects most people without causing disease. The scientists weave tiny bits of their target pathogen into the CMV.
- Those who receive the vaccine produce memory T-cells that can search for and destroy pathogen-infected cells.