Developing a Vaccine Against Human Cytomegalovirus: Identifying and Targeting HCMV’s Immunological Achilles’ Heel

Anastasia Lankina; Marta Raposo; Alexander Hargreaves; Claire Atkinson; Paul Griffiths; Matthew B. Reeves

doi:10.3390/vaccines13050435

Developing a Vaccine Against Human Cytomegalovirus: Identifying and Targeting HCMV’s Immunological Achilles’ Heel

Anastasia Lankina
, Marta Raposo
, Alexander Hargreaves
, Claire Atkinson
, Paul Griffiths
, Matthew B. Reeves

Human Sciences (352)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

14 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a critical pathogen in immunocompromised populations, such as organ transplant recipients as well as congenitally infected neonates with immature immune systems. Despite decades of research and the growing financial burden associated with the management of HCMV, there is no licensed vaccine to date. In this review, we aim to outline the complexity of HCMV and the antigens it presents and the journey and challenges of developing an effective HCMV vaccine, as well as further highlight the recent analyses of the most successful vaccine candidate so far—gB/MF59.

Original language	English
Article number	435
Journal	Vaccines
Volume	13
Issue number	5
Early online date	22 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13050435
Publication status	Published - 22 Apr 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Access to Document

10.3390/vaccines13050435

vaccines-13-00435Final published version, 1.25 MBLicence: CC BY 4.0

Cite this

@article{4d526040bdd14344b63dfc4547812aaa,

title = "Developing a Vaccine Against Human Cytomegalovirus: Identifying and Targeting HCMV{\textquoteright}s Immunological Achilles{\textquoteright} Heel",

abstract = "Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a critical pathogen in immunocompromised populations, such as organ transplant recipients as well as congenitally infected neonates with immature immune systems. Despite decades of research and the growing financial burden associated with the management of HCMV, there is no licensed vaccine to date. In this review, we aim to outline the complexity of HCMV and the antigens it presents and the journey and challenges of developing an effective HCMV vaccine, as well as further highlight the recent analyses of the most successful vaccine candidate so far{\textemdash}gB/MF59.",

author = "Anastasia Lankina and Marta Raposo and Alexander Hargreaves and Claire Atkinson and Paul Griffiths and Reeves, \{Matthew B.\}",

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language = "English",

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T1 - Developing a Vaccine Against Human Cytomegalovirus: Identifying and Targeting HCMV’s Immunological Achilles’ Heel

AU - Lankina, Anastasia

AU - Raposo, Marta

AU - Hargreaves, Alexander

AU - Atkinson, Claire

AU - Griffiths, Paul

AU - Reeves, Matthew B.

PY - 2025/4/22

Y1 - 2025/4/22

N2 - Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a critical pathogen in immunocompromised populations, such as organ transplant recipients as well as congenitally infected neonates with immature immune systems. Despite decades of research and the growing financial burden associated with the management of HCMV, there is no licensed vaccine to date. In this review, we aim to outline the complexity of HCMV and the antigens it presents and the journey and challenges of developing an effective HCMV vaccine, as well as further highlight the recent analyses of the most successful vaccine candidate so far—gB/MF59.

AB - Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a critical pathogen in immunocompromised populations, such as organ transplant recipients as well as congenitally infected neonates with immature immune systems. Despite decades of research and the growing financial burden associated with the management of HCMV, there is no licensed vaccine to date. In this review, we aim to outline the complexity of HCMV and the antigens it presents and the journey and challenges of developing an effective HCMV vaccine, as well as further highlight the recent analyses of the most successful vaccine candidate so far—gB/MF59.

U2 - 10.3390/vaccines13050435

DO - 10.3390/vaccines13050435

M3 - Review article

VL - 13

JO - Vaccines

JF - Vaccines

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ER -