From Strains to Disease: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Host Interactions, Pathogenesis, and Immunity
A Special Issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817) belonging to the section "Viral Pathogens".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 87
Editors
Interests: human cytomegalovirus; anellovirus; viral strain diversity and evolution; cell entry and fusion; viral persistence and pathogenesis
Interests: cytomegalovirus; human cytomegalovirus; murine cytomegalovirus; humoral immunity; glycoproteins; mechanism of fusion; posttranscriptional transactivation of viral gene expression
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infects most people worldwide, typically causing mild disease in immunocompetent hosts but severe outcomes in newborns and immunosuppressed patients. Lifelong persistence with sporadic reactivation may contribute to immunosenescence, vascular senescence, certain cancers, and autoimmunity.
CMV’s large dsDNA genome varies across multiple polymorphic regions; mixed‑strain infections are common, and immunity after primary infection may not prevent reinfection with genetically distinct strains, complicating vaccine development. CMV’s envelope comprises diverse glycoprotein complexes required for attachment, entry, and cell–cell spread; the composition and abundance of these complexes and their subunits vary and are likely shaped by the viral genome and the cellular context. Although recent work links specific glycoprotein variants to functional changes—and indicates that viral transactivators such as IE2 can modulate envelope glycoprotein composition—the broader impact of genetic diversity on pathogenesis and host interaction remains unclear.
We invite submissions that advance this field, including:
- Strain diversity, recombination, and in vivo evolution (including mixed‑strain infections).
- Glycoprotein variability (e.g., gM/gN, gB, gH/gL, gH/UL116, trimer and pentamer and gH/UL116/UL141 complexes): structure–function, entry, and spread.
- Host interactions, tropism, and pathogenesis; clinical correlates of strain diversity.
- Immune responses (innate and adaptive), immune evasion, and implications for vaccines and mAbs.
- Diagnostics targeting full‑length loci (e.g., UL55/gB) or strain-specific mAbs, bioinformatics, and surveillance.
- Translational approaches (vaccines, antibody therapy, antivirals).
Dr. Irene Görzer
Dr. Marco Thomas
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- human cytomegalovirus (CMV)
- CMV strain diversity
- viral recombination and evolution
- virus–host interactions
- viral entry and cell–cell spread
- innate and adaptive immunity
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