Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is widespread and usually causes no symptoms in healthy people, but it can harm organ transplant recipients, cancer patients and newborns. The CDC calls HCMV the most infectious cause of birth defects in the United States, and congenital infection affects up to 2% of pregnancies worldwide. Some estimates put global infection rates above 80%.
HCMV makes viral Fc receptors (vFcγRs) that bind antibodies and stop them from activating immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells. A team led by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin engineered IgG1 antibodies with altered regions so the virus cannot bind them. The antibodies still trigger NK cells and, in lab tests, blocked spread between cells and reduced viral dissemination in infected cultures.
Coauthors include scientists at UT Austin, Cardiff University’s School of Medicine and the University of Freiburg. Researchers are testing combinations with antiviral drugs or vaccines, and they say more testing is needed before clinical use.
Difficult words
- cytomegalovirus — a common virus that can cause serious infections
- congenital — present at birth or before birth
- antibody — a protein the immune system makes to fight germsantibodies
- immune — relating to the body's system that fights infection
- receptor — a protein on cells that binds specific moleculesreceptors
- engineer — to design or change something for a purposeengineered
- dissemination — the process of spreading something widely
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Discussion questions
- How could engineered antibodies help people at high risk from HCMV?
- Why do you think researchers want more testing before clinical use?
- Would you feel confident using a new antibody treatment after lab tests? Why or why not?
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