HCMV trimer- and pentamer-specific antibodies synergize for virus neutralization but do not correlate with congenital transmission.

ABSTRACT: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes substantial disease in transplant patients and harms the development of the nervous system in babies infected in utero. Thus, there is a major focus on developing safe and effective HCMV vaccines. Evidence has been presented that a major target of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is the HCMV pentamer glycoprotein gH/gL/UL128-131. In some studies, most of the NAbs in animal or human sera were found to recognize the pentamer, which mediates HCMV entry into endothelial and epithelial cells. It was also reported that pentamer-specific antibodies correlate with protection against transmission from mothers to babies. One problem with the studies on pentamer-specific NAbs to date has been that the studies did not compare the pentamer to the other major form of gH

SUBMITTER: Vanarsdall AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6397592 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature