The impact of viral gene expression and cellular signalling upon the control of HCMV latency and reactivation

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Human Cytomegalovirus is a herpes virus that co-exists within the human host for life. Usually benign in healthy adults, in certain patients whose body defence mechanism (immune system) against pathogens is switched off (i.e. transplant, cancer and AIDS patients) the virus spreads uncontrollably throughout the body. This results in severe disease and, if not brought back under control, can lead to death. The ultimate aim is to understand how the virus remains dormant in humans and what host signals tell the virus to awaken (‘reactivate‘) from its‘ dormant state. By understanding what the signals are which reactivate the virus we can then design therapies to intercept that signal and prevent it from telling the virus to reactivate until the patients‘ immune system has recovered sufficiently to regain control over the virus. Furthermore, if we can understand how the virus hijacks the cells it resides in during its‘ dormant phase we can hopefully, by determining what the virus needs to survive, design novel therapies that could allow us to understand what the virus needs for long term survival in the host. Such an approach may kill the virus and result in the eradication of this pathogen from humans.