Purging a virus from organ transplants
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an extremely common virus, which as other members of the herpes virus family causes life-long infections in humans. Most individuals are exposed to HCMV during childhood, yet symptoms can be easily fought off by a healthy immune system. However, infections can be life-threatening for individuals with defective immunity, for instance newborn babies, people with AIDS, or those taking immunosuppressive drugs following organ transplantation. Scientists at École Polytechnique Fe?de?rale de Lausanne (EPFL) have discovered the molecular switch that allows HCMV to either lie dormant or reactivate its infection. The switch can be manipulated with simple drugs to force the virus out of dormancy, making it easy to target with antivirals. Published in eLife, the study shows how HCMV could be fought in high-risk patients and purged from organs before transplantation.