Therapies for human cytomegalovirus

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a viral infection disseminated worldwide and ∼ 70% of the world population presents antibodies to CMV; usually the infection is asymptomatic in healthy individuals. However, the virus may be reactivated from latency if the host develops an immunodeficiency or is immunosuppressed by drugs. Congenital HCMV infection is also an important public health problem. Although in the last decade improved antiviral chemotherapy is becoming more readly available, an effective and safe monotherapy is so far not offered for the management of CMV infection. In addition, existing drugs are ineffective to treat certain strains of CMV. Attenuated and recombinant live virus vaccine approaches have been proposed, but safe use of these types of vaccines in healthy populations remains to be shown. This review emphasizes the existing scientific therapeutic approaches and patents regarding clinical antiviral treatment in HCMV since 2003.

Keywords::

• CMV globulin
• CMV therapy
• cytomegalovirus
• hyperimmune