Murine CMV Expressing the High Affinity NKG2D Ligand MULT-1: A Model for the Development of Cytomegalovirus-Based Vaccines.

The development of a vaccine against human cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been a subject of long-term medical interest. The research during recent years identified CMV as an attractive vaccine vector against infectious diseases and tumors. The immune response to CMV persists over a lifetime and its unique feature is the inflationary T cell response to certain viral epitopes.

Natural killer cells can inhibit the transmission of human cytomegalovirus in cell culture by using mechanisms from innate and adaptive immune responses.

Unlabelled: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) transmission within the host is important for the pathogenesis of HCMV diseases. Natural killer (NK) cells are well known to provide a first line of host defense against virus infections. However, the role of NK cells in the control of HCMV transmission is still unknown.