Unmasking a viral invader
If you have it, you probably don’t know it. Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is perhaps one of the biggest pathogens you’ve never heard of — big both proportionately and epidemiologically. It contains approximately 200 genes, compared to HIV’s paltry 18, and it’s everywhere. You can catch it as a preschooler salivating over blocks, or as a teenager experiencing your first kiss. Once you have it, you have it for life. The good news: If you’re healthy, it’s harmless. Your T cells keep it in check, and you’ll be none the wiser. The bad news: If you have any medical condition that dampens your immune system, such as HIV infection or a recent organ transplant, the virus can assert itself with a vengeance. The results, sometimes, are life-threatening. Researchers in the lab of Steven Gygi, professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School, report that they have discovered a menu of tactical secrets CMV employs....